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MEMOIRS OF THE 

DUCHESSE DE DINO 




i \ 






MEMOIRS OF THE 

DUCHESSE DE DINO 

(^Afterwards Duchesse de Talleyrand et de Sagari) 
183I-1835 

Edited^ with Notes and Biographical Index^ by 

THE PRINCESSE RADZIWILL 

{NEE CASTELLANE) 

WITH PHOTOGRAVURE FRONTISPIECE 



NEW YORK : CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 

LONDON : WILLIAM HEINEMANN 
1909 



"*f 






Printed in England 



THEUBKARYOr 

CONGRESS 
SERtAl RECORD 

MAR 13 1943 



4 8 65 5 5 

AUG -6 1942 



PREFACE 

This history is composed of notes made in England during 
the Embassy of the Prince de Talleyrand and of fragments 
of letters addressed by my grandmother, the Duchesse de 
Dino (afterwards Duchesse de Talleyrand et de Sagan), 
during a period of thirty years, to M. Adolphe de Bacourt, 
who gave them to me by her desire. 

Some months before her death in 1862 my grandmother, 
who was then fully aware of her condition, herself told me 
of the precious legacy which would be transmitted to me 
when she was gone by M. de Bacourt, her executor, and 
added her final instructions and advice. 

A just judgment on conspicuous ideas and persons is 
possible only after the lapse of many years, and so I should 
willingly have postponed the publication of these Memoirs. 
But some years since, my niece, the Comtesse Jean de 
Castellane, published the story of the early years of the 
Duchesse de Dino, and as many readers desire to have the 
continuation, I have decided not to withhold it any longer, 
and it will be found in the following pages. 

The book throws more light on the last years of the 
Prince de Talleyrand than any previous publication, and 
it speaks so well for itself that I need say nothing for it. 
The place which the Duchess occupied in the European 
Society of the first half of last century is also too well 



vi PREFACE 

known to need to be recalled here. Her personal charm, 
like her intellectual distinction, has rarely been equalled, 
but the moral fascination which she exercised on all who 
knew her is less well known. Intellect is a great source 
of strength, but nobility of soul is a greater ; and it was 
assuredly this which helped the Duchess in many difficult 
passages in her history. 

It is this sense of nobility and distinction which, in my 
opinion, is the chief characteristic of her Memoirs. 

CASTELLANE, PRINCESSE RADZIWILL 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I 



Paris, May 9 — A crowded drawing-room — Bridge Castle — 
Trouble in Paris — A Naval Spectacle. 



CHAPTER n 

A Visit from the Duke of Wellington — Politics at Paris — 12 
The King's Birthday — The Princess Victoria — Euro- 
pean complications. 

CHAPTER in 

M. Thiers' Marriage — Talleyrand summoned to Paris — 19 
Return to London — Lady Jersey and the Due d'Orleans 
— Dinner with the King. 



CHAPTER IV 

Warwick Castle — Queen Adelaide — The Duke of Welling- 27 
ton — London at its best — Wobum Abbey — M. de 
Lieven's recall — A rift in the Cabinet — Lord Brougham 
— Dinner with Palmerston — Lord Grey's difficulties 
— Palmerston's methods — Oxford and the Duke — 
Kings in exile — A jovial monarch — Mirabeau — Talley- 
rand's Memoirs — The King's health — Don Carlos and 
Court — A Schism at Almack's — Resignation of Lord 
Grey — Don Carlos escapes — Lord Melbourne's position 

vii 



viii CONTENTS 

— Revolutionary politics — European politics — Spanish 
affairs — Palmerston's incivility — A scene at the levee 
— Last days in England — Talk with Louis- Philippe — 
George Sand — English visitors — A royal visit — M. de 
Talleyrand resigns — Lord Brougham in Paris — A State 
trial — Talleyrand's successor. 



CHAPTER V 

A Court at the Tuileries — Cabinet making — Triumph of 224 
M. Guizot — Talleyrand and Church — Fieschi's crime — 
English politics — Thiers' difficulties — The King's 
courage — General Sebastiani — A clever secretary — 
Marriage projects — State prisoners — British affairs. 

APPENDIX I 287 

APPENDIX II 288 

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 291 



MEMOIRS OF THE 

DUCHESSE DE DINO 



CHAPTER I 

1831 

Paris, May 9, 1831. — I am bewildered by the tumult of 
Paris. There is such a babel of words, such a crowd of 
faces, that I hardly recognise myself, and have the greatest 
difficulty in collecting my thoughts so as to discover 
where I am, where others are, whether the country is doing 
well or ill, whether the physicians are skilful enough, or 
whether the malady is beyond their art. 

Twenty times I have stopped to think of Madeira ; 
sometimes, too, my thoughts are of Valen9ay ; but I can 
find no fixed resting-place, and it seems to me quite futile 
to prejudge anything before the great electoral crisis which 
preoccupies everybody. A propos of everything, people here 
say "after the elections," just as the gay world of London 
used to say " after Easter." 

There was a little article in the Moniteur of yesterday ; 
the attitude of the Ministry and that of the general public 
are both just and flattering to M. de Talleyrand, but reason 
is not the fashion nowadays, and less so in this country than 
elsewhere. In fact, if I were to let my thoughts wander 
over the thousand and one small complications which spoil 
and embarrass everything, the only conclusion I could arrive 
at would be that the country is very ill but that the doctor 
is excellent ! . . . 



2 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

London, September 10, 1831. — From Paris letters it 
appears that the indestructible Bailli de Ferette has at 
length taken his departure ; likewise Madame Visconti, 
another extraordinary relic of the past. 

I hear there have been emeutes of women ; fifteen hundred 
of these horrible creatures made a commotion, and because 
of their sex the Garde Nationale would not use force. For- 
tunately, the rain settled the matter. 

Yesterday came an express with a rigmarole about Belgium 
asking that the Dutch should retire still further, that 
Maestricht should be garrisoned by Dutch alone, expressing 
impatience at General Baudrand having had direct conver- 
sations in private with the English Ministers, and recalling 
him forthwith. He will not go, however, till after the 
Drawing-room. 

Nothing new about Poland. 

The Times tells of the ill-starred attempt in Portugal. 
A malison on Dom Miguel ! What a shame it is that he 
should have triumphed ! 

The only news in London is that on the occasion of 
the coronation,^ the King allowed the Bishops to lay aside 
their ugly wigs. This has made them quite unrecognisable 
for the last week, for they were in such a hurry to avail 
themselves of the permission that they did not allow time 
for their hair to grow again. The result was that they cut 
a very odd figure, and were the delight of all the guests at 
the King''s dinner. 

London^ September 11, 1831. — Everybody is still talking 
of nothing but the coronation ; the Duke of Devonshire's 
return on foot all splashed with mud ; the acts, words, and 
appearance of everyone are discussed, embellished, distorted, 
and reviewed with more or less charity : that is to say, with 
no charity at all. The Queen alone is left untouched ; 
everyone says that she was perfect, and they are quite right. 

I saw the Duke of Gloucester yesterday, and could get 
nothing out of him except that they had been trying to 
avoid having Van de Weyer (who makes the Duchess of 
1 Of King William IV. 



A CROWDED DRAWING-ROOM 3 

Saxe- Weimar swoon) at the great diplomatic dinner to-day 
at Saint James's. They, therefore, hit on the plan of asking, 
besides ambassadors, only such ministers as are married ; I 
thought this rather stupid. 

All the venerable siu*vivals are disappearing ; there is 
Lady Mornington, mother of the Duke of Wellington, who 
died yesterday at the age of ninety. This event can make 
little difference to her son. 

The Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg and the Duke of 
Saxe-Meiningen left yesterday by the steamer for Rotterdam ; 
the Duchess of Cambridge leaves to-day for the Hague via 
Bruges. The great preoccupation of them all is to avoid 
Brussels. 

Lady Belfast describes very amusingly the visit of the 
English yachts to Cherbourg and the welcome they had 
there. They were received by the authorities, who could 
not in the least understand what a Gentleman's Yacht Club 
in which the Government had no concern could be ; in fact, 
they were near taking the members for pirates. However, 
they gave them a dinner and a ball. Lord Yarborough 
wished to return their hospitality on board his yacht, but 
all the provincial fair ladies declared that nothing would 
induce them to dance on the sea, that they would be certain 
to be horribly sick, and that the proposal was altogether 
barbarous. Finally, Lord Yarborough was obliged to 
yield, and gave his ball in a Cherbourg tavern, where, 
however, he managed to spend ten thousand francs in a 
single evening. 

London, September 13, 1831. — Yesterday's Drawing-room 
was more crowded than ever, and consequently so long and 
fatiguing that Mexico, Spain, and Naples were successively 
placed hors de combat. The diplomatic ranks were so much 
thinned by these ladies fainting one after the other that one 
had to exert oneself more than usual. 

Madame de Lieven boldly seated herself on the steps of 
the throne, whence she passed into the King's room, 
where she had lunch. She came back and told us that she 
was neither tired nor hungry. She all but added that our 



4 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

legs should be rested because hers were, and our stomachs 
satisfied because hers had been stayed. 

The peeresses, as a rule, looked well in their robes. One 
unhappy creature paid dearly for the pleasure of exercising 
her right as a peeress to be received by the King whether he 
will or no. Lady Ferrers had been practically kept by her 
husband as his mistress before he married her, so Lord Howe 
told Lord Ferrers that the Queen would not receive his wife. 
Lord Ferrers replied, however, that peeresses had the entree, 
and that could not be denied. He was warned, however, 
that the Queen would turn away as Lady Ferrers passed, 
and this is what happened. I must observe that even in 
this the Queen showed her kindness of heart, for she pre- 
tended to begin a conversation with the Princess Augusta 
just before Lady Ferrers came opposite to her. She did not 
interrupt her conversation, and it was possible to think that 
the poor woman had passed unperceived and not insulted. 
I thought it was very nice of the Queen. 

The dinner was magnificent, and the exuberance of the 
King's good humour was really comic ; he made several 
remarkable speeches in French, and I hear that, when the 
ladies had gone, the grossness of his conversation was beyond 
belief. I have never seen him so gay. I think that certain 
despatches from Paris which arrived a little before dinner, 
and brought to Lord Palmerston and M. de Talleyrand the 
news that the French troops would begin the evacuation of 
Belgium on the STth and would all be back in France by 
the 30 th, had something to do with the Royal hilarity. 
Lord Grey was radiant about it. 

The news of the cholera is bad ; it has got to Sweden 
•via Finland, and at Berlin in three days thirty out of the 
sixty sick have died. There has been enough ado about it 
in Paris for M. Perier to make his appearance there on 
horseback in his ministerial uniform ; his presence had a 
good effect. 

It seems that the Belgian business is definitely settled, 
and M. de Talleyrand was saying yesterday that he would 
be in France at the end of October. But I have already 



BRIDGE CASTLE 5 

seen so many ups and downs in these affairs that I no longer 
profess to predict anything a week ahead. 

Tunhridge Wells, September 16, 1831. — I have just been 
visiting Bridge Castle/ which belongs to a rich and misan- 
thropic octogenarian much persecuted by misfortune. His 
title is Earl of Abergavenny, but his family name is Neville. 
He is a cousin of Lord Warwick ; the celebrated " King- 
maker" was a Neville, and Bridge Castle was his. At a later 
date Queen Elizabeth was feasted there. 

The foundations of the castle are ancient, and it has 
been restored in the ancient style, with great care, by the 
present owner. The effect of the whole is perfectly har- 
monious, and every detail is rich and elegant. The perfec- 
tion of the carving and the beauty of the stained glass are 
wonderful. Lord Abergavenny's own apartments are ex- 
tremely dismal. The castle occupies a very high point on 
the top of a hill, with a lake twenty acres in extent at the 
foot. But the low ground is surrounded by hills which are 
even higher than the one in the centre, on which the castle 
stands, and which are all covered with trees so splendid, 
so numerous, and stretching for so many miles, that they 
form a veritable forest. I have never seen a prospect so 
romantically wooded and at the same time so profoundly 
melancholy. It is not English, still less is it French ; it is 
the Black Forest, it is Bohemia. I have never seen ivy like 
that which covers the towers, the balconies, and indeed the 
whole building. In short, I rave about it. 

In the park, in the heart of a clump of tall and very 
sombre fir-trees, there is a mineral spring exactly like that 
at Tunbridge ; and the park itself is not only full of deer 
but has also stags, any number of cows and sheep, and a fine 
herd of buffaloes. 

Lord Abergavenny is very charitable. A hundred and 
twenty workmen are constantly in his employment ; but 
since the visitors from Tunbridge came and damaged his 
garden he allows no one to see either his park or his house. 

1 Bridge Castle is in the county of Sussex, and still belongs to the 
Abergavenny family. 



6 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Some time ago he refused admittance even to the Princesse 
de Lieven. Pleading notes from Countess Bathyany and 
from me touched his heart. He was out when we came, 
but had left orders for the servants to show us everything ; 
we were guided through the woods by a man on horseback. 
His people are very fond of him ; they have much to say of 
his goodness, and recount very impressively the story of the 
misfortunes which have afflicted their unhappy old master. 

London, September 17, 1831. — On my way back from 
Tunbridge yesterday I visited Knole, one of the most 
ancient castles in England, built by King John. The oldest 
part of the existing building dates from this time. Knole 
was for long in the possession of the Archbishops of Canter- 
bury, but Cranmer, finding that his magnificence excited 
popular discontent, restored it to the Crown. Elizabeth 
gave it to the Sackvilles, the eldest of whom she made 
Earl of Dorset ; and it has remained in that family until 
the present day. It has just come into the hands of 
Lady Plymouth, sister of the Duke of Dorset, who was 
killed in the hunting-field, and left no children. The 
present Duke of Dorset, an old man, is the uncle of his 
predecessor ; he has inherited the title without the estate. 

When I choose I can be as meticulous as anybody ! I 
condescended to read up the guide-book, and put myself in 
the hands of the housekeeper. This ancient fairy-godmother 
is very good at showing off the venerable and lugubrious 
house of Knole, which for melancholy has no rival. Even 
the part which has been fitted up for the present occupants 
is no exception to this ; much more profound, therefore, is 
the gloom of that which is given up to memories of the 
past. Everything there is genuine antique ; there are five 
or six bedrooms, the hall, three galleries, and a saloon full 
of Jacobean furniture. Panelling, furniture, and pictures 
all date authentically from this period. The rooms occupied 
by James I. when he visited the first Earl of Dorset are 
magnificent ; they are decorated with Venetian mirrors ; 
there is a state bed of gold and silver brocade, a filigree 
toilet-set, ivory and ebony cabinets, and many other curious 



TROUBLE IN PAHIS 7 

and beautiful things. There are portraits here of all 
England, and among a vast quantity of rubbish some dozen 
splendid examples of Van Dyck and Sir Robert Leslie. The 
park is large, but in no way remarkable ; a rapid visit is 
quite sufficient. 

London, September, 1831. — I am always unlucky in my 
return to London. I got back the day before yesterday, in 
time to learn of the capture of Warsaw ; and to day I 
arrived from Stoke ^ to hear of the new and serious disorders 
which had taken place in Paris on the occasion of the defeat 
of the Poles. The condition of the city was grave at the 
time of writing, from the details given in this morning's 
Times. I may add that M. Casimir Perier bravely saved 
Sebastiani from the gravest peril by taking him into his 
carriage. When they got to the Place Vendome they were 
forced to take refuge in the Hotel de TEtat Major ; there 
were loud cries of " a has Louis Philippe ! " 

To-day the fate of the Ministry will probably be decided 
in the Chamber. I know that M. de Rigny was very anxious, 
the previous sitting having been very unfavourable. 

I have also received a very sad letter from M. Pasquin. 
Our forebodings are turning out only too true. 
London, September 20, 1831. — Count Paul Medem 
arrived yesterday and spent much of the day with me. 

He left Paris on Saturday evening. I had plenty of time 
to question him, and found his judgment sound and cold as 
usual ; he thinks that in France nothing as yet is either lost 
or saved. It is all, he thinks, a matter of chance ; and one 
can depend on nothing. He brings ill news of the un- 
popularity of the King and of the ignorance and presumption 
of everybody. He thinks nothing of anyone but Casimir 
Perier, and even he makes no secret of his disgust at the 
little help he gets. I had a sad account of the social and 

1 Warsaw, capital of the Duchy of the same name, had been ceded to 
the Russians in 1815. In November 1830 a terrible insurrection broke out 
there, which liberated Poland for several months ; but, in spite of a glorious 
campaign against Diebitsch, Warsaw was finally retaken by Parkewitch on 
September 8, 1831. 

2 Stoke is situate in the county of Stafford, and has a great porcelain 
manufactory founded by Wedgwood. 



8 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

commercial condition of Paris. Everything there is un- 
recognisable ; dress, manners, tone, morals and language — 
all is changed. The men spend their whole lives in the 
cafes, and the women have vanished. New expressions have 
become the fashion. The Chamber of Deputies is termed 
La Rehie Legislative; the Chamber of Peers, UAncienne 
Chamhre. The latter, as a power in the land, has ceased to 
exist. It is said that the King was more ready than anyone 
to abandon the hereditary principle in the peerage, hoping in 
this way to gain popularity and get a better civil list. No 
one supposes, however, that it will exceed twelve millions, and 
in the meantime he is drawing fifteen hundred thousand 
francs a month. 

Several theatres are closed ; the Opera and the Italiens 
still draw, but if the stars continue to appear on the stage it 
is only the seamy side of society that is seen in the boxes. 

It is understood that the Czar Nicolas will only put to 
death such Poles as murdered Russian prisoners in the course 
of the sanguinary scenes enacted at the clubs. Siberia will 
receive the others. What a host of miserable creatures we 
shall see invading Europe, and more especially France ! It 
is natural to want to shelter them, but it must be admitted 
that in the present state of France they can only be a new 
element of disorder. They say that when an emeute occurs 
'the refugees from all countries always play a leading part. 

The news from Rio de Janeiro is bad for the children ^ 
left by Dom Pedro. A revolt of the negroes has led to much 
disorder. 

The scenes in Switzerland are deplorable. 

Things have been happening at Bordeaux. 

Miaulis ^ has blown up his fleet rather than obey Capo 
d'Istria. 

1 (1) Dona Jennaria, born 1819 ; (2) Dona Paula, born 1823 ; (3) Dofia 
Francisca, born 1824 ; (4) Dom Pedro, born 1825, who in 1831 became 
Emperor of Brazil under a regency. 

2 On the occasion of the Revolution in France in 1830, new agitations 
arose in Switzerland. Bale divided itself in 1831 into Bale-Ville and B&le- 
Campagne. 

3 Miaulis had retired to Paros, and had put himself at the head of the 
rebellious Hydriotes. 



A NAVAL SPECTACLE ^ 

London, September 21, 1831. -^ — The rioting began again 
in Paris on Sunday evening, and lasted all Monday morning. 
There were ominous symptoms of all kinds, and the aspect of 
the city was very serious. The interpellations announced by 
Mauguin and Laurence were postponed for twenty-four 
hours, because it was thought that a partial, if not a complete, 
dislocation of the Ministry was imminent. Heavenly powers ! 
Where have we got to and whither are we tending ! 

In this connection it is confidently asserted that the troops 
at Madeira are ready to submit to Dona Maria. The name 
of Madeira pronounced (thrown out one might say) six 
months ago without much thought will turn out to have 
been prophetic. It is there that we will betake ourselves 
for refuge ! 

Jules Chodron ^ is appointed Second Secretary of Legation 
at Brussels. 

London, September 23, 1831. — There was a splendid day 
yesterday for the ceremony at Woolwich at which I was 
present. It was very impressive to see the launch of a great 
ship of war, and to see it towed afterwards into the dock 
where it is to be rigged. 

We were on a platform near the King's ; there were 
crowds and crowds of people, a multitude of steamers and 
rowing boats, bands, bells and salvoes of cannon without end. 
It was almost sunshine. The uniforms and dresses were 
brilliant ; in fact, there was everything which contributes to 
produce an air of high festivity. 

The King took a small detachment of the diplomatic 
corps, which I accompanied, to see a miniature frigate, a 
present to the King of Prussia. It is a charming little 
thing made entirely of copper and mahogany. Then he 
took us to lunch on board the Royal Sovereign, an old 
yacht of the time of George III., much gilded and bedizened. 
His Majesty addressed himself to me in drinking the health 
of the King of the French, and to Biilow in proposing the 
toast of His Prussian Majesty. He forgot Madame Falk, on 

1 From March to September 1831 insurrection, or at least agitation and 
tumult, was almost continual in the streets of Paris, 

2 M. de Courcel. 



10 DtJCHfiSSE BE niNO 

which the Duchess of Saxe- Weimar, who was much annoyed, 
could not refrain from tears, and the King had to apologise 
to Madame Falk, and drink the health of the King of 
Holland. 

I dined with the Duke of Wellington, who was in very 
good spirits. He hopes that the Reform Bill will be thrown 
out by the House of Lords on the Second Reading, which 
will take place on October 3. Lord Winchelsea, having 
declared that he would vote against it, was requested by the 
Ministry to resign his place at Court, but the King would 
not accept his resignation. 

Yesterday evening came an express from Paris, dated the 
20th, announcing that the riots are at an end, and that the 
Ministry has prevailed in the Chamber of Deputies ; but, on 
the other hand, it is said that what has been passed proves 
that the Belgian treaty must be on the basis proposed in the 
despatch of the 12th. 

London, September 25, 1831. — We have got the details 
of the sitting of the Chamber at which the Ministry 
triumphed. The victory was won on an order of the day ; 
worded in a manner honourable to the Government, and 
carried by a majority of 85. There voted 357 — 221 for 
M. Perier, 136 against. Things, therefore, have for the 
moment resumed some sort of equilibrium, but I have little 
confidence in the event. The new Chamber has still to show 
what it means to do about hereditary peerages, about the 
civil list and the budget, and it does not seem to me to be 
prepared either to say or to do any good thing. 

People are still writing to me praising the high courage of 
M. Perier, and representing the country as being in a critical 
condition, and Pozzo as very nervous in spite of his nephew's 
marriage, with which he i& delighted. 

Three gentlemen from Arras, introduced by the Baron de 
Talleyrand, have been dining with us. They belong to the 
French middle class, and are very proud of the fact. One of 
the three was a little man of seventeen in the rhetoric class 
of the Lycee Louis-le- Grand, who is here for his holidays, and 
is already as talkative and as positive as could be wished. 



TROUBLE IN PAKIS 11 

He gives every promise of one day bellowing most con- 
spicuously in the Chamber. 

London, September 27, 1831. — Yesterday the Conference 
agreed on a protocol, and heaven knows what will be the 
result ! The Dutch and the Belgians could not come to any 
agreement, or even within sight of one. So the Conference, 
in order to prevent the resumption of hostilities to settle 
finally this difficult, delicate and dangerous question, and to 
avert the conflagration which is always imminent, constituted 
itself arbitrator, and will protect the results of its arbitration 
which is to proceed forthwith. How will this be received at 
Paris ? M. de Talleyrand thinks they will be annoyed at 
first and will then give way, especially as there was nothing 
else to be done. " It is," he says, " the one and only way 
of settling the business." 

London, Septeviher 29, 1831. — M. de Montrond came 
yesterday. He speaks with the utmost contempt of Paris, 
and all that is going on there. He tells me that the King 
is going to live at the Tuilleries, after a severe battle with 
his ministers, who on this occasion also have forced his 
hand. They had a hard task to overcome the Queen's 
unwillingness, but they have overcome all obstacles and the 
thing is to be. 

It is said that at the Palais Royal the King cannot stir 
without being greeted with the most cruel epithets. He is 
received with cries of " Bavardf'' " Avarer &c. They thrust 
knives through the inside railings and threaten him. The 
situation, in short, is horrible. 



CHAPTER II 

1832 

London, May 23, 1832. — The Duke of Wellington paid 
me a long visit yesterday. He told me that he was sorry 
that M. de Talleyrand's personal circumstances had led him 
to decide to leave England even for a time. No substitute, 
however excellent, could maintain things at the point to 
which M. de Talleyrand had brought them. He had the 
leading position here and a preponderating influence not 
merely among his fellow diplomats, but also among his 
English colleagues. He was, moreover, highly respected 
throughout the country, where the fact that he stood aloof 
from all intrigue was much appreciated. He was the only 
man who, " under any ministry," was capable of preserving 
the solidarity of England and France. He himself feared 
that the other members of the Conference might take a high 
tone with M. de Talleyrand's substitute, and when he came 
back he might find a new situation and ground lost which it 
might be difficult to recover. Finally, if M. de Talleyrand 
did not return to London, we could not even be certain that 
peace would be preserved. 

He added that the aspect of things in both countries was 
very grave, that all the provision which had been made was 
inadequate, and that no one could predict the result either 
of Reform or of the revolutionary means which had been 
taken to obtain it. Who again could say what the Royal 
caprice might bring forth once the Reform Bill was passed ? 

The Duke was, as always, very simple and natural, full of 



POLITICS AT PARIS 13 

common sense, and, in his way, which is certainly not 
gushing, very friendly. 

London, May 24, 1832. — M. de Remusat is here with a 
letter from General Sebastiani to M. de Talleyrand which he 
has not yet delivered. He sent me one from the Due de 
Broglie, written on the point of his leaving for the country, 
and, as I think, in much anxiety about the precarious con- 
dition of everything in France. He refers me to M. de 
Remusat, but I know only too well what he will say. He 
is clever, but it is a scornful type of cleverness. He is a 
captious person hide bound in his doctrinaire formulas ; even 
when I used to see a great deal of his set I used to think 
him particularly disagreeable, and I don't expect that he will 
do or say anything to make me change my opinion. 

London, May 25, 1832. — M. de Remusat, whom I saw 
last night, announced that he would call this morning, when 
he would " tell me what to think of Paris."" These doc- 
trinaires always want to teach one something ! He has just 
gone. It takes a long time to learn about France ; he has 
been teaching me for more than two hours ! 

What I chiefly remember of my lesson is that M. de 
Remusafs journey is a kind of mission entrusted to him by 
the worthy persons who favour a via media, such as MM. 
Royer-Collard, Guizot, Broglie, Bertin de Veaux, and even 
Sebastiani who is at open war with Rigny. The object of the 
mission is to persuade M. de Talleyrand to accept the 
Presidency of the Council, or, if that cannot be, to be the 
patron of a new ministry in which Sebastiani would keep 
his place, and which would be strengthened by the accession 
of Guizot, Thiers and Dupin. The Ministry in its present 
dilapidated and distracted condition cannot last, but the 
King must be made to choose stronger men, who will reso- 
lutely carry out M. Perier's system, and who have enough 
talent to impose it on the Chamber. They want M. de 
Talleyrand to go to Paris and make the King feel the 
danger of his position so keenly that he will be willing to 
take this course. This is what M. de Remusat has been 
sent to propose to M. de Talleyrand, and what he took the. 



14 DUCFIESSE DE DINO 

trouble to give mo a lecture about. M. de Talleyrand is 
too nuuh deteruiiued not to take part in any administration 
to give way on this point. He has, of course, always meant 
to speak to the King as his conscience prompts him. But 
what will he gain by that? Probably very little. 

London, May 29, 1832. — AVhat a day we had yesterday ! 
The Drawing-room went on till pfist five ! It was the 
King's birtlulay, ami His Majesty having learned tliat 
the I'rincesse de Lieven and I were not dining with Lord 
Pahnerston, chose us to represent the Corps Diplomati(|ue 
at his own party. 

There was no one at this dinner, apart from the legiti- 
mate and the illegitimate family, besides the suite and a few 
old friends of the King, such as the Duke of Dorset and 
Lord Mount Edgcumbe. 

The King did not stint his toasts. First he addressed 
himself to Madame de Lieven, and said that after the many 
years tliat she had represented in London a Court always 
friendly to Great Britain, he had come to regard her as a 
personal friend. Then to me, '' I have not known you for 
so long, Madame, but the memory which you leave behind 
you makes us all wish for your retin'U with the restored 
health which you go to seek at the waters. The delicate 
and difKcult circumstances of your uncle's mission here, in 
which he has displayed so nuich integrity and skill, m*e such 
that I attach great importam-e to his returning among us, 
and I beg you tell him so.*" Then he turned to Madame 
Woronzotf and tolil her how, through her husband, she was 
tis nuu-h English as Russian. 

Madame de Lieven thanked His INIajesty in a word and 
so did I, but poor Madame de Woronzoif in trying to 
express her sentiments got so mixed that the King began 
again, and I tliought that the dialogue would never end. 

When the Queen's health had been drunk, the King 
returned thanks for her in English, adding that no princess 
more deserved the respect and alfection of those that knew her, 
for no one better disi-harged the duties of her position than 
she. He tlien gave us the signal to rise and innneiliately 



TTIE IMMNCESS Vr(:'rr)IMA 15 

af</trw/'in]« to Kit down again, and, -'jL/JfJr<;«sing th'; i>ijf;h<i>>'i of 
K'-nt, \i('. drank tfi'; h<;aHJi of \}k: PrJncxiss Vir-toria a;s hi-; 
noht hit'ir ijnd<;r rnjvi'J<:n';'; jj.nd nrrAmllnfr to t}j<; lav/ of 1,})', 
land. To fi';r tj«: hofx-d lo lr;av<; tJi*; throc kingdoms with 
th';ir right;-;, priviK;g<;:s and r:onstit(ition inUutt as \k'. him- 
self harl rcceivcrJ t}i';m. VViiJ) all tttis lia «aid, and frc- 
qiif;ntly r<-p<'.:>.b-j], tfiat ii'iH fi'-.alth was (tyj-j-]](tni and his 
Rtn;/igtf) aljijnd;),nt, that h<; fiad no Jd<;a of dying, and th>it 
in \}i('.s<s rJifrif:ijlt tim«;s it was mont necessary that there 
shoiild fifit lj'; ;), minority. So that <iVf;ryborJy f';!! t/> 
worjdcrirjg wh':t}i<;r }j<; mr;ant to be agreeable or disagre<;ab)e 
to the Duchfjss of Kent, who was as pale as death, or whether, 
owing t/> the princely firetensions of the Fit/ckrenrxts, he 
wishfjrj to m/ike it elwxr tfiat h<! rer^jgnised no other heir 
than the young jjrin(jess as possible. Others assert that it 
was all airnf'd at tlje Duke of Sussex, who was absent because 
he has been forbidden to come to Court It appe-ar« that 
the popular party would like U> see hitn on th<; throne, or, at 
least, tij at the King imagines that they worjlrj, arjd 1ji;i.f, t.fjis 
was the motive of liis very lengtliy spe<;ch. 

Hc.ioK: fix; end of the evening the King twice came up t/> 
me to say that M. fJe 'ialleyranrl njust not be away long, that 
the paurA: of \}i(t world d(;pended on his presence in J^>ndon, 
and so on, with many eulogistic and pretty HpciOchaH. 
The number of pr>lil/; regrets, sincere enough to all appear- 
ance;, which are being expressed at otjr departure is really 
wonderful. 

f/nuUm,. May 'M), \H%9,. — M. de Talleyrand has rewivwl 
lettx'rs fronj the King and from SebastiAni, written on the 
eve of leaving for C>Mnpiegnr;. Hoth say that ih'ry v/jlj use 
all their credit, v/jfjj King Leopold f.o persu/i/Ie him fx> 
le;i.ve everytliing to the Conference;, anfi so to throw on the 
l)ub:h all i-he r>djut;i rjf a refusal. They wish M. de Tall(;y- 
rand, however, to secure here the evac^uation of Antwerp of 
which the I)utx;h won't hear till all the other questions are 
s(;ttl<:/l. Sf> f;tr as one can see, the obstinacy of the Dutch 
does not fliminish, and a bad spirit is again abroad in 
Helf'ium. 



h; nrirriKSSK de dino 

IM. (!»• 'r.'illt •^ r;iii(l will Icjtvc imiiii'diati'ly iil'lcv llio Arrival 
of l\t. (K' M.-uciiil, and hopes lu^fon" lliiil. lo luivc siicctH'dod 
in OHtablishiii!^ mi arincd force wliirh would he cMlIed t.lio 
(-oiiil)iiicd Anjdi) I'Viiitli annv, and would l)t' enlriist.cd with 
llu" duly «)f rtilliiig Ihe (Jordian kiiol. 

P/wvjf, June $20, 18B3. — I expect. iM. de TalltyraiKi on 
the t>v(MiiM<4; of tlie day nflcr to-morrow. 

T am sceiu;; a great many |n>ople Jtist now ; in faet Ihey 
ai-e lioiinj";' me to doatli. What absurdities, what mistakes, 
what misi!;nided passions ! I'oor TNI. d(> Tallevraiid ; lie is 
j;oillf;' to fall into a. pretty mess of inlrioiii> ! 

'rii(> pri'seid. state of affairs, wliieh is eondi'nnu'd hy 
(>vervl>ody, miisl neeossarily eliangt>, at least so fur as the 
Ministry is t-oneeriu>(l. The outcry against ministers is 
general, and alaiiu is growing. La Vendi^e, however, is 
about over, and people belitne tliat the Duilusse de Iterry 
hius IIihI ; tJiat, if true, is a grt>at thing, J{ut tiie state of 
tJie Cabinet is pitiable, lis jerky, hesitating conduct of 
alVairs, no less than I he innumt>rabl(> bhmders which it mak(\s, 
ft)n'shuilow its downfall. I\l. «le 'ralK>yr;ind is i>xpected lo 
do great thirigs, poor man ! 

The real diUleulty li(>s in the characttM- of the head of 
affairs. How ngly all this is! Si'bastiani is day by day 
failing niori- ; vc\stA>rdaY 1 was nvdiy 'nii-ved about hin> ; he 
is ipiite aware o( his i-ondition, and it makes him very 
unhappy. To ni>;lit I auj going with him to Saint Cloud, 
and 1 tremble K\st Uc mny fall di\'id by my side in llu- 
carriage. 

\Vesscnbi>rg writes li> \uc from London that tlu> Ministry 
there is cast tlown, an\ious aiul enibarrassed by its triumph, 
and fears that it may soon fall. 1 see tfiat in Knglaiid they 
are thsipiieted about tl>e state of (b>rn»any. Here tJie 
Corps Diplomatiipie aiv ctunplainin>;- oi' Sebastiaaii's doublt> 
g.'uue in nvspect of events on llu> IMiine. In a won!, m> one 
is pleased, no one is at ease. \V<> live in strange times ! 

/*<)tm, kS!s'ptmih(T (), IS.Sfi. M. de Talleyrand has letters 
which say that tlu> I'oipietry at St. iVtersburg was intended 
to detach l-'nglaml from her alliance with us, and that they 



EUROPEAN COMPLICATIONS 17 

had even gone so far as to propose to place Antwerp in the 
hands of the English. All this has miscarried and coldness 
has succeeded to civilities. All the difficulties about the 
Conference now come from Brussels, where the marriage ^ has 
turned everybody"'s head, and where they now think them- 
selves able to force France's hand. 

Paris, September 21, 1832. — It seems that M. de Mont- 
rond hopes to get Pondichery, and is very anxious to go there. 
Sebastiani's friends say he is quite restored to health since 
Bourbonne, and is steering adroitly among the difficulties of 
his ministerial career. 

The King of the Netherlands is in an evil mood, and the 
King of the Belgians is no better. The Conference is 
flagging, and, they say, has much need of M. de Talleyrand 
to help it to recover its cohesion. 

All the Cabinets are said to be much on edge about what 
is passing between Egypt and the Porte. Every one shrinks 
from the consequences which are imminent in the North, 
South, East and West. They are clearly foreseen every- 
where, but no one has the courage to meddle with them. 

Paris, September 23, 1832. — The horizon is gloomy all 
round. Strange events are happening in the East. The 
condition of Germany and Italy is precarious. The French 
Cabinet is disunited, there are complications in Portugal, and 
Holland is growing more and more obstinate. To all this 
must now be added the sudden death of Ferdinand VII., a 
civil war of succession between the partisans of Don Carlos 
and those of the little Infanta, the possibility of Spain inter- 
fering in Portugal, and consequently the appearance of 
France and England in the Peninsula. 

Further, there is the change of ministry at Brussels, and 
the sudden departures of the Due d'Orleans, Marshal Gerard, 
and M. le Hon for Belgium. Pandemonium reigns more 
than ever ! 

M. de Talleyrand is receiving many letters both from 

London and from Paris urging him to hasten his departure. 

1 Leopold I., elected King of the Belgians in 1831, married in 1832 
Louise, Princess of Orleans, daughter of Louis Philippe, King of the 
French. 



18 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Paris, SepUmher 27, 1832. — The resurrection^ of 
Ferdinand VII. is very mysterious. It is also very fortunate, 
for when there are so manv complications, the disappearance 
of even one is something to be thankful for ! 

1 In 1S32 King Ferdinand VII. became so seriously ill that he was 
thought to be dead. Calomarde then joined the Carlists, and forced the 
dying monarch to sign a decree cancelling the declaration of 1830 abolishing 
the Salic Law in Spain. 



CHAPTER III 

1833 

Valen(^ay^ October 12, 1833. — M. Royer-CoUard passed 
part of the morning here. He was at once original and 
witty, serious and vivacious, showed much affection for me, 
and made himself very pleasant to M. de Talleyrand. He 
does not openly carp at the present situation, but it is not 
pleasing to him, and he speaks ill of it in his solitude. 

M. de Saint- Aulaire writes from Vienna : " My summer 
holiday which I have been spending at Baden has not been 
disturbed by the meetings at Teplitz and Miinchengraetz,'^ 
because I was not given anything to do, and because, for my 
part, I feel no anxiety about them. But M. de Metternich 
has just got back to Vienna ; we must put our affairs in 
order, and my holiday is near an end. The measures con- 
sidered advisable for Germany are apparently very sharp ; 

1 Valengay, where the Duchesse de Dino had just gone, is situate in the 
Department of the Indre. The chateau and the park are magnificent, and 
the ornamental water is very fine. The house was built in the sixteenth 
century by the d'^tampes family, from the designs of Philibert Delorme. 
In 1808 and 1814 it served as the prison of Ferdinand VII. and the Spanish 
Princes when they were detained by Napoleon I. The Prince de Talleyrand, 
who had bought the property at the end of the eighteenth century, was 
very fond of the place and lived there a great deal. 

2 The three great allied powers — Austria, Prussia and Russia — held meet- 
ings in three successive years either at T6plitz or at Miinchengraetz for 
joint deliberation on the European situation. There by a new secret 
compact they guaranteed to each other their respective possessions in 
Poland, whether against external aggression or internal revolution. They 
also considered the affairs of France and Italy, and the constant activities 
of Italian societies and refugees in French territory, which were then 
causing serious anxiety about the tranquillity of the Peninsula. It was 
finally decided that the Cabinets of Austria, Prussia and Russia should each 
send a separate note to the Government of King Louis Philippe, urging a 
more careful surveillance of the revolutionary propaganda. 



20 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

were they otherwise the attempt would be futile. Will 
France be content to look on and do nothing ? I think so, 
unless some independent sovereign cries for help in main- 
taining his independence. The King of Hanover would be 
a good leader in a movement of this kind, but if he will not 
come forward, I have no confidence in Prince Lichtenstein. 
I know that in England they think M. de Metternich has 
tricked us, and that he went shares with Russia in the 
Treaty of Constantinople of the 8th of July last. But 
I persist in maintaining that he was the dupe, not the 
accomplice. I hope I am right, not so much for my own 
self-satisfaction as because the game to play must vary 
according as the good understanding of Austria and Russia 
is apparent or real. Frederick Lamb told me yesterday in 
detail of the Duke of Leuchtenberg's campaign in Belgium. 
I had heard something of it from the rumours of the town, 
but not a word from the Cabinet, which has the bad habit 
of keeping us the worst informed of the diplomatists of any 
country." 

Valen^ay, October 23, 1833. — The Duchesse de Mont- 
morency is quite fresh on the subject of Prague, her eldest 
daughter having told her much about it. Charles X. 
himself took his two grand-children to their mother at 
Leoben with the precise object of preventing the Duchesse 
de Berry from coming to Prague ; from Leoben it is said 
she will return to Italy. M. le Dauphin ^ and Mnie. la 
Dauphine refused to go. 

They say that Charles X. is much broken, and the 
Dauphine is aged and very thin and nervous, always in 
tears. Certainly, however strong her character may be, her 
misfortunes have been such as to break the highest courage 
and the most masculine spirit. Beyond doubt she has been 
more persecuted by destiny than any character in history. 

M. de Blacas is in supreme command of the little Court, 

1 Louis-Antoine, Due d'Angouleme (1773-1844), eldest son of King 
Charles X., married during the emigration in 1799 his cousin Marie Th&^se 
Charlotte, daughter of King Louis XVI. and Queen Marie Antoinette, but 
had no children. After 1830 the Due d'Angouleme ceded his rights to his 
nephew, the Due de Bordeaux (Comte de Chambord), and retired into 
private life. 



M. THIERS' MARRIAGE 21 

and is more opposed than any one to the proposal that the 
Duchesse de Berry should settle there. 

I have seen a letter from M. Thiers, who says, referring 
to his marriage : " The great moment is at hand. I am 
agitated, as is proper ; and I am fonder of my young wife 
than is fitting at my age. This shows I was right to make 
up my mind at thirty-five rather than at forty, for then I 
should have been even more absurd. In any case it matters 
little ; I can banish false shame, but there is one thing 
which I find insupportable, and that is to expose those who 
are dear to me to the insults and the malice of the world. 
For myself I am inured, but (great as is the necessity) I 
shall never become inured to the sufferings of those I love. 
The world must work its will ; it would be foolish to wish 
that so huge a machine should alter its eternal motion to 
suit one's convenience." 

I sincerely hope that his philosophy will not be tried too 
severely ; but, as the proverb has it, " the sin brings its own 
punishment."" 

ValeTK^ay^ November 3, 1833. — I am greatly surprised 
that the Due de Broglie has not once written to M. de 
Talleyrand. He has written three times to me on private 
affairs, and each time promised a letter for M. de Talleyrand^ 
which has never come. 

Mme. Adelaide has written twice, very kindly expressing 
her desire that M. de Talleyrand may go back to London, 
but without any definite inquiry on the subject. I think, 
however, that she and the King wish it much more than the 
Due de Broglie does ; and I believe that it is owing to some 
intrigue between Lord Granville and Lord Palmerston that 
the King's wishes have not so far been more clearly expressed. 

M. de Talleyrand has come to no decision. There are so 
many real inconveniences in entering on active political life. 
On the other hand, there are so many real inconveniences in 
staying in France that even if I wished to advise I do not 
know what advice it would be best, in the interests of 
M. de Talleyrand, to give him. He fears — and I think with 
reason — the isolation, the ennui of the provinces, and the 



22 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

slackness of country life. Paris he thinks impossible, as he 
would there be invested in the eyes of the people with 
political responsibilities which it would not be either in his 
interest or in his power to discharge. On the other hand, 
he is under no illusions as to the gravity and the difficulty 
of the situation which he would find on his return to 
London, and which would be aggravated by the character 
of the people with whom he would have to deal on both 
sides of the Channel. Finally, he kno^vs quite well how 
easily he might lose, on the turn of a single card, all that 
he has so miraculously gained during the past three years. 

All this agitates him greatly ; and me, on his account, 
even more. We have every reason to apply to ourselves 
what M. Royer-Collard said in 1830 of the struggle between 
the Polignac Ministry and the country : " An end there will 
surely be, but I see no issue.'" 

Valen^ay^ November 10, 1833. — M. de Talleyrand has 
just heard from the Due de Broglie and from King Leopold. 
The former says that the King of the Netherlands is making 
overt^lres at Frankfort, that the Germanic Confederation and 
the Duke of Nassau are on the point of giving way, and 
that in less than a fortnight Dedel will receive instructions 
to resume active participation in the Conference. The 
Duke, and the King also, are most anxious that M. de Talley- 
rand should come to Paris to settle everything, hear the 
details of the Conference at Mlinchengraetz on the affairs of 
Spain, and then return to London. 

King Leopold MTites to say that Belgium will pay 
Holland nothing ; this quasi-manifesto being enveloped in 
a mass of honeyed compliments. 

Valen^ay, November 11, 1833. — The following is the 
general sense of M. de Talleyrand's answer to the Due de 
Broglie : " My dear Duke, — You overrate the goodness of my 
health, but you will never overrate the warmth of my friend- 
ship for you or of my devotion to the King. I cannot give 
you a better proof of this than by dragging my eighty-two 
years out of their idleness and retirement in midwinter and 
getting to Paris by December 4, as I promise you I shall. 



KETURN TO LONDON 28 

As to going to London, is it really necessary ? I am very 
old, and another would now do as well, perhaps better, 
than I. 

" We shall discuss matters at Paris, and out of my ' long 
experience,' which you are so good as to consult, I will tell 
you frankly what I think of all you have to tell me of 
political affairs. That is all I am good for nowadays. If 
by any chance you so far flatter my vanity as to make me 
believe that I am still indispensable for a time in this 
business, I shall, of course, feel it my duty to do what you 
ask. But once it is over I shall at once return to my den to 
resume the torpor which is alone appropriate to my present 
condition. 

" In any case, no harm will be done by leaving things for 
a week or two in the hands of M. de Bacourt, who, I am 
sure, is justifying more and more, by his energy and sagacity, 
all the good that I have said to you of him. Adieu ! " 

Valen^ay, November 12, 1833. — People are beginning to 
be anxious about the situation in Spain. The Northern 
provinces are all for Don Carlos. Madrid, Barcelona, Cadiz, 
and almost all the South are for the Queen, on condition 
that the revolution takes its course. This is what is chiefly 
agitating the French Government. 

The anticipation of the attitude of the Chambers is 
making the Ministry rather nervous. It will present itself 
just as it is, but not without fear, for there is a certain 
difficulty in facing a Chamber which must wish to court 
popularity if it hopes to be re-elected. The huge expendi- 
ture of Marshal Soult, the very slight reduction (in some 
cases none at all) in other Departments, are difficulties which 
may become serious embarrassments. 

Paris, December 9, 1833. — Our return to London is 
settled. When I arrived here yesterday I found M. de 
Montrond on the steps, M. Raullin on the stairs, and Pozzo 
in the cabinet. I am to dine with him to-morrow. He 
has a careworn look, and fulminates against Lord Palmerston, 
who is said to be out of favour everywhere. M. de Talleyrand 
does not think that the Due de Broglie lets himself be 



24 DUCHESSE DE DING 

carried away by Lord Granville as much as his Lordship 
would like, and he has expressed himself in clear terms 
about this. 

M. de Talleyrand does not believe in the possibility of 
war except between England and Russia, and will make 
every effort in his power to prevent it. He seems to me on 
the best possible terms with Pozzo, and to stand extremely 
well with the King and Madame Adelaide, who are beginning 
to distrust Palmerston and Lord Granville and to consider that 
Broglie is wanting in insight ; and, moreover, that he treats 
them without sufficient consideration and respect. He is 
certainly behaving with great lack of frankness and confidence 
towards M. de Talleyrand, but one's financial position must 
be revealed to those who are to invest one''s money. 

Lady Jersey has been to the Tuileries ; the Due d'Orleans 
has been in all things her humble servant. At the palace, 
indeed, where they are rather badly off for society, every- 
one was charmed by the arrival of the fair aristocrat from 
the other side of the Channel, which has been quite an 
event. 

The Faubourg Saint- Germain is more irreconcilable than 
ever. Napoleon had places which he could bestow, estates 
which he might restore : he could threaten confiscations. 
There is nothing of that sort nowadays ; and so they all 
sulk with an easy insolence which is quite indescribable. 
The fact is that if one is not compelled to go there the 
Court is too mixed to be attractive. I am sorry about it 
for the sake of the Queen, whom I both love and honour. 

It seems that Baron de Werther is much annoyed with 
Palmerston and the Due de Broglie. Certainly there is a 
great deal of ill-humour in the air, but M. de Talleyrand 
still says that it will not find its outlet in shot and shell. 

Paris, December 11, 1833. — Yesterday I dined, along 
with M. de Talleyrand, at the Thiers'. There was no one 
but himself, his wife, his father and mother-in-law ; Mignet, 
who talked platitudes about Spain, and Bertin de Veaux, 
who talked of nothing but the bull-fights he saw at Saint 
Sebastian. 



DINNER WITH THE KING 25 

Madame Thiers, who is only sixteen, looks nineteen. She 
has a fine colour, pretty hair, a good shape, large eyes which 
have as yet nothing to express, a disagreeable mouth, an 
unpleasing smile, and a too prominent forehead. She says 
nothing herself, hardly answers when she is spoken to, 
and she seemed thoroughly bored with us all. She has no 
presence, and no idea of how to behave in society, but 
no doubt she may acquire all this. Perhaps she will 
take only too much trouble for other people than her little 
husband, who is very much in love and very jealous — 
ashamed of it too, I gather, from what he told me. The 
looks his young wife bestows on him are very cold ; she 
is not shy, but inclined to be sulky, and not at all inclined 
to make herself pleasant. 

I used to think Madame Dosne had the remains of 
beauty, but I thought on this occasion that she never could 
have been good looking. She has an unpleasing laugh, 
which is ironical without being gay. Her conversation is 
witty and animated, but her dress was pink and girlish, 
and afifectedly simple to a degree which quite astonished 
me. 

Paris, December 15, 1833. — Yesterday I dined with the 
King. M. de Talleyrand was dining with the Prince Royal. 
During dinner the King spoke of nothing but traditions 
and memories of the past and ancient castles. I was quite 
at home. First we exhausted the topic of Touraine : he 
promised stained glass and portraits of Louis XI. and 
Louis XII. for Amboise. He will buy back the remains of 
Montrichard, and will prevent the ruin of the Chateau de 
Langeais. If he does all this my dinner will not have been 
in vain ! He then told me about the restorations he is 
having done at Fontainbleau, and ended by explaining to 
me his great plan for Versailles, which is really great and 
worthy of a great-grandson of Louis XIV. But will it 
come to pass ? The conversation then turned on the new 
work which he has had done at the Tuileries themselves. 
He gave orders for the whole palace to be lit up, and after 
dinner he took me all through it. 



26 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Everything is really fine, very fine ; and if the staircase, 
which is rich and elegant, were only a little broader, it 
would be quite perfect. This promenade took us from the i 
Pavilion de Flore to the Pavilion de Marsan. Here the ' 
King asked me if I would like to pay a visit to his son, and 
I said, of course, that I would follow the King anywhere. 
We found the Due d'Orleans playing whist with M. de 
Talleyrand, whose friends the Prince had invited to meet 
him. 

The Prince"'s apartments are too beautifully furnished for i; 
a man"'s ; that is the only criticism one can make, for they \ 
are full of lovely things found in the Royal garde-meuble, 
where all the fine pieces of the time of Louis XIV. were 
placed at the Revolution, and it did not occur to anyone 
at the time of the Restoration to take them out. The 
Due d'Orleans has put a great many of them in his rooms. 
It is curious how often I have been at the Tuileries without 
ever suspecting the presence of the interesting things col- 
lected there. Thus, on this occasion in the King's room, 
among other things with which I was unfamiliar, I saw a 
portrait of liOuis XIV. as a baby represented as a sleeping 
Cupid, and another of Anne of Austria as Minerva. I also 
saw some allegorical wood-carving of the time of Catherine 
de Medici, who built the Tuileries. 

The King is an admirable guide to his palaces. I won- 
dered during all our conversation how a man could know 
the traditions of his family so well and be so proud of them, 
and yet . However ! 

I leave the day after to-morrow for London. 



CHAPTER IV 

1834 

London, January 27, 1834. — Sir Henry Halford has just 
been telling me that the late King George IV., whose senior 
physician he was, asked him two days before his death to 
say on his word of honour whether the case was desperate. 
Sir Henry, with a significantly grave face, answered that 
his Majesty's condition was very serious ; whereupon the 
King thanked him with a movement of his head, desired the 
Sacrament and communicated very devoutly, inviting Sir 
Henry to communicate along with him. Lady Conyngham 
was in the adjoining room. So no human interest was 
absent from the deathbed of the Royal charlatan while he 
partook of the Sacrament for the last time. 

London, February 7, 1834. — Yesterday I was at Lady 
Holland's, who finished some story or other which she was 
telling me by saying, " I didn't get this from Lady Keith 
(Mme. de Flahaut), for she hasn't written to me for more 
than two months." Then she added, " Did you know that 
she hated the present Ministry in France ? " " Of course," 
I answered ; " it was you who told M. de Talleyrand all the 
nasty things she was saying here about the French Cabinet 
at the time when it was formed." " True," replied Lady 
Holland, " all the same, the Cabinet must be preserved. 
Lord Granville has written to Lord Holland to say that we 
must not believe everything Lady Keith says about the 
precariousness of the Due de Broglie's position, for she is a 
bitter enemy of his and longs for his downfall." I said 
nothing, and the subject dropped. But, after this, don't 
speak to me of the friendships of this world ! 



28 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Anyhow, they write rather amusingly of M. and Mme. de 
Flahaut from Paris, saying that their favour at the Tuileries 
is dechning, he being considered a superannuated coquette, 
and she a foxy old intriguer. 

Waricick Castle, Fehrnury 10, 1834. — I left London the 
day before yesterday, and got as far as Stony Stratford, 
where I advise no one to pass the night. The beds are bad 
even for England, and I never experienced anything more 
like a trappist's couch. I left yesterday morning in the 
midst of a bitterly cold and extremely thick fog. It was 
impossible to get any idea of the country, which, however, 
from certain occasional glimpses, I believe to be rather 
pretty, especially about Iston Hall, a beautiful place owned 
by Lord Porchester. You pass a superb gate, from which 
there stretches a vast park, beyond which there is a view of 
a valley which seemed to me charming. Leamington, a few 
miles further on, is well built and cheerful. 

As to Warwick itself, where I arrived yesterday morning, 
one enters by a fortress gate. Its aspect is the most severe, 
its courtyard the most sombre, its hall the most enormous, 
its furniture the most Gothic, and its style the most perfect 
that you can possibly imagine. Everything suggests the 
feudal system. A large and rapid river bathes the foot of 
the great dark old battlemented towers. The monotonous 
noise of the water is interrupted by the crackling of the 
great trees which burn in the gigantic fireplaces. In the 
hall huge logs are piled upon the dogs which stand on 
slabs of polished marble, and each log requires two men to 
put it on the fire. 

I have only just glanced rapidly at the stained glass in 
the great broad windows, which are on the same scale as the 
fireplaces, at the armour and the antlers and the other 
curiosities of the hall, at the fine family portraits in the 
three great drawing-rooms. As yet I am only familiar 
with my own room, which is completely furnished with 
Boulle and carved walnut, and, in addition to these antique 
splendours, is full of all the modern comforts. 

Lady Warwick's boudoir is also full of interesting things. 



WARWICK CASTLE 29 

She came to my room yesterday to fetch me, and after 
showing me the boudoir she took me to the little drawing- 
room, where we found Lord Monson, the son of her first 
marriage, a little man, or rather boy, shy and silent, and 
much embarrassed by the exiguity and weakness of his 
person. Lady Monson was also there. She is a striking 
contrast to her husband, being a tall blonde Englishwoman, 
stiff and bony, with long features and large hands, a great 
broad flat chest, angular in her movements, and rather like 
an old maid, but pretty and kindly. Here, too, was Lady 
Eastnor, the sister of Lady Stuart of Rothesay ; ugly, like 
all her family, but well-bred, like all Lady Hardwicke's 
daughters. Lord Eastnor, a mighty hunter and a great 
eater and drinker, was also of the party ; and his brother, a 
parson, who, I believe, has not shaved since Christmas, and 
who never opened his mouth except to eat. Lord Brooke, 
the son of the house, is fifteen and very nice looking ; his 
tutor was with him, and was silent and respectful, as tutors 
should be. Finally, there was the striking figure of Lady 
Catherine Neeld, a sister of the Ashieys and a daughter of 
Lord Shaftesbury. She is celebrated for the suit she brought 
against her husband, of which all the papers were full last 
year. She is a friend of Lady Warwick's who protects, 
shelters, and defends her. She is a bold, rather loud person, 
with a malicious tongue and familiar and somewhat audacious 
manners. She is well made, has a white skin and beautiful 
fair hair, but neither eyebrows nor eyelashes. Her face is 
long and narrow ; her eyes have no special merit, and her 
nose and mouth remind you of what Madame de Sevigne 
said of Madame de Sforze when she described her as being 
like " a parrot eating a cherry." 

Lord Warwick had a touch of rheumatic gout, and kept 
his room. No one seemed to miss him. 

The lady of the house is far from being in harmony with 
the splendid pile which she inhabits. She has been pretty 
without being beautiful ; she is naturally witty, but has not 
improved her gifts by study. She knows nothing of the 
traditions of her castle. Her disposition is all towards fun 



30 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

and informality ; her bodily habits are nonchalant, and 
altogether this plump, lazy, idle little woman seems anything 
but the natural mistress of her vast, sombre, and almost 
terrifying house. Moreover, every one seems to me a pigmy 
in these rooms, to fill which you would require superhuman 
creatures like the King-maker. Our generation is too 
meanly proportioned for such an abode. 

The dining-room is fine, but less grandiose than the rest 
of the house. On leaving table a long time before the men 
we went to the great drawing-room, which is flanked by two 
smaller ones. In this huge room there are some splendid 
Van Dycks, and the panelling is entirely of cedar in its 
natural colour. The perfume of this wood is very agreeable. 
The furniture is covered in velvet damask, the prevailing 
tone of which is deep red. There are many really magnifi- 
cent pieces of Boulle, and several marbles brought back from 
Italy. The two enormous windows form deep recesses and 
have no curtains, being simply framed in cedar wood. In 
this huge area there were only about a score of candles, 
which reminded me of will-o'-the-wisps, which deceived the 
eye rather than illuminated the room. I have never seen 
anything more chilling and depressing than this drawing- 
room, in which the ladies' conversation was very languid 
indeed. I kept thinking that the portrait of Charles the 
First and the bust of the Black Prince would come and join 
us at coffee before the fire. At last the men came, and 
after them the tea, and at ten o'clock a sort of supper. At 
eleven a general move was made to bed, which seemed to be 
a relief for every one. 

During this long evening I thought many times of the 
description given by Corinne of her mother-in-law's chateau. 
At dinner nothing was talked of but county balls and 
Leamington Spa, and other petty gossip of the neighbour- 
hood. Feature by feature it recalled Madame de Stael's 
description. 

In the morning Lady Warwick took me over the Castle, 
which I should have got to know better if I had been left 
to myself, or had been put in charge of one of the two 



KENILWORTH 31 

housekeepers, the elder of whom is ninety-three. To look at 
her you would think she was going to tell you all about the 
Wars of the Roses. The chatelaine cares nothing whatever 
about all the curiosities with which her domain is stored, and 
took me through them at breakneck speed. 

I did, however, manage to stop for a moment before the 
saddle and caparison of Queen Elizabeth, which she used on 
her progress from Kenilworth to Warwick, and I took up 
the lute presented by Lord Leicester to her Majesty, a 
wonderfully carved instrument, with the Queen's arms in 
raised copper on the wood, and close by them the favourite's 
own, which seemed to me a trifle impertinent. I noticed 
a curious portrait of the Queen in her coronation robes which 
showed a terrible resemblance to her terrible father. Apropos 
of this portrait Lord Monson told me a thing I did not 
know, viz., that Elizabeth, who always affected a youthful 
appearance, never allowed herself to be painted except in 
full face and so lighted as to avoid any shadow on her 
features which might accentuate the lines, and so indicate 
the number of her years. It is said that this idea was so 
constantly in her mind that she always faced the light when 
she gave audience. 

The library at Warwick is not particularly remarkable, 
and did not appear to me to be much used. Queen Anne's 
bed-chamber with the bed of the period is a fine room. 

At ten Lady Warwick and I entered a carriage, Lady 
Monson and Lord Brooke escorting us on horseback, and we 
drove through an interesting landscape to the celebrated 
ruins of Kenilworth. There I was really disappointed, not 
because the ruins do not give the idea of a vast and noble 
building, but because the country is so flat, and the absence 
of trees is so complete, that there is nothing which you could 
call picturesque. It is true that there is a superb coat of 
ivy over all, which is good as far as it goes, but is not enough 
to make a picture. 

Lady Monson is less ignorant of the locality than her 
mother-in-law, and she pointed out to me the banqueting- 
hall. Queen Elizabeth's room, the buildings constructed by 



32 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

liCicester which, though more modern, are more ruinous than 
the rest, and the gate-house through which the Queen's 
procession passed, and which was built specially for the 
occasion. This erection is still in a good state of preservation, 
and is inhabited by one of the tenants of Lord Clarendon, 
the owner of the ruins. In the interior there is a chimney- 
piece with the initials and the crest of Leicester. The wing 
in which Sir Walter Scott lodges Amy Robsart owes its 
celebrity to romance and not to history. 

I was not allowed to ascend the towers, as the stability of 
the ruins is doubtful, and only last year Lady Sefton's niece 
had an accident here. Besides I was assured that the view 
was in no way remarkable. 

We made a detour on the return journey and passed right 
through Leamington. The whole town, and especially the 
bathing establishment, seemed to me quite pretty. Just 
now it is gay with hunting men, who live here much as they 
do at Melton Mowbray. 

When we got back it was not yet dark, and Lady 
Warwick took me to see a pretty view of the River Avon 
at the bottom of the park, which is beautifully planted. 
I was also shown some glass-houses, which are neither very 
well kept nor very full of flowers, but in which is kept the 
Warwick Vase — a huge vessel of white marble beautifully 
shaped and carved. It was brought back from the Garden 
of Trajan by the father of the present Lord Warwick. 

To-morrow I return to London. 

London, February 12, 1834. — M. de Talleyrand told me 
that yesterday evening, while playing whist with Madame de 
Lieven, who had Lord Sefton for a partner, the Princess, 
with her habitual absence of mind, revoked twice, whereupon 
Lord Sefton quietly remarked that it was quite natural that 
these abominable Dardanelles should often cause Madame de 
Lieven to revoke. This caused much merriment to the 
company. 

I have a letter from M. Royer-Collard in which occurs the 
following sentence : " I like M. de Bacourt very much 
indeed. His clear, simple and intelligent conversation is 



ASTORYOFCOUNT DORS AY 33 

charming, and I find no one here who talks so well. Our 
mutual understanding is complete." 

London, February 15, 1834. — The Duchess-Countess of 
Sutherland called for me yesterday and took Pauline and me 
to the Panorama of the North Pole in which Captain Ross 
plays a prominent part. Both painting and perspective are 
beyond anything I have seen of its kind ; but everything 
which relates to adventures so terrible and sufferings so pro- 
longed is intensely interesting. 

One of Captain Parry''s crew in the Fury who had after- 
wards been with Captain Ross, happened by chance to be 
there. He gave Pauline a little piece of the fur with which 
he had covered himself when among the Esquimaux, and 
presented me with a fragment of granite taken from the 
most northerly point reached by the expedition. We asked 
him many questions, and he often recurred to the moment 
when they sighted the Isabella, which rescued them and 
brought them home. This was on the 26th of August, and 
he told us that as long; as he lived he would drink to the 
memory of that happy moment on every anniversary. 

Last night we had a rout, at which there was nothing 
remarkable either in the way of dresses or of beauties or of 
absurdities. The Marquis of Douglas is extraordinarily 
handsome, and Miss Emily Hardy seemed to me rather 
smitten with him. 

The Ministry was represented by Lord Grey, Lord Lans- 
downe, and Lord Melbourne. The Cabinet is much em- 
barrassed, for every day incidents are happening in the House 
of Commons which show up vividly the serious divisions in 
its ranks. Last night Lord Grey's face showed visible traces 
of this. 

London, February 20, 1834. — A new and very ugly story 
is afloat concerning Count Alfred d'Orsay which is as follows : 
Sir Willoughby Cotton, writing from Brighton at the same 
time to Count d'Orsay and to Lady Fitzroy Somerset, cross- 
directed the letters so that M. d'Orsay on opening the letter 
which he received, instead of seeing the mistake and stopping 
at the first line, which ran " Dear Lady Fitzroy," read it 

c 



34 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

through and found, among other Brighton gossip, some 
pleasantries about Lady Tullemore and one of her lovers, and 
a sharp saying about himself. What did he do but go to 
the club, read out the letter before every one, and finally 
put it under cover and send it to Lord Tullemore ! The 
result very nearly was a crop of duels. Lady Tullemore 
is very ill, and the guilty lover has fled to Paris. Friends 
intervened, however, and the thing was hushed up for the sake 
of the ladies, but M. d'Orsay cut (and cuts) an odious figm-e. 

London, February 27, 1834. — The latest joke is to spread 
rumours of Lord Palmerston"'s marriage with Miss Jerning- 
ham. She was at the Russian Embassy yesterday overdressed 
and bedizened as usual. Madame de Lieven made her a 
target for her wit, but couldn't quite get out of inviting her. 
No doubt, in order to avenge this constraint, she said quite 
loudly that Miss Jerningham reminded her of the usual 
advertisement in the Times: "A housemaid wants a 
situation in a family where a footman is kept." Clever and 
only too true, but most uncharitable ! She was good enough 
to add that the comic papers had christened Lord Palmerston 
" the venerable cupid." 

London, May 1, 1834. — Mr. Salomon Dedel arrived this 
morning from the Hague, bringing me a letter from General 
Fagel, which contained the following : " Someone has found 
out that Dedel had expressed the hope that he might 
reappear in London armed with instructions to bring the 
affair to a conclusion." Dedel mentioned the matter to the 
King, who replied : " The purpose of your absence was to see 
your relatives and friends of whom you can give news if any- 
body asks you." Further on the same letter runs : " We wish 
to be forced by the five powers, and will take no account of 
a partial coercion like that of 1832. If the powers are not 
unanimous we shall continue to refuse any definite arrange- 
ment. At the worst we prefer the road to Silesia to 
recognising Leopold." 

Madame de Jaucourt, referring to the insane party spirit 
now in the ascendant in France, writes to M. de Talleyrand 
that her brother M. de Thiard said at her house the other 



QUEEN ADELAIDE 35 

day : " I would give my right arm to have Charles X. back 
in the place from which we deposed him." 

Is it not curious that young Baillot, who has just been 
assassinated during the late troubles in Paris, should have 
often boasted of having killed several people during the days 
of July 1830 in exactly the same way as he was killed 
himself ? 

I have just heard of an amusing thing said by the old 
Marchioness of Salisbury. Last Sunday she was at church, 
a rare thing with her, and the preacher, speaking of the Fall, 
observed that Adam excusing himself had cried out, " Lord 
the woman tempted me." At this quotation Lady Salisbury, 
who appeared not to have heard of the incident before, 
jumped up in her seat saying, " Shabby fellow indeed ! " 

I have just been paying a morning call on the Queen, 
whom I found much agitated, anxious, and yet pleased, 
about her impending journey to Germany. The King 
arranged it without her knowledge and superintended the 
smallest details. It is he who has chosen the suite, engaged 
the servants, and selected the carriages. It has all been done 
in such a hurry that the Queen has not yet recovered from 
the shock. She doesn't know whether to be glad at the 
prospect of seeing her mother, who is aged and infirm, or to 
be worried about leaving the King alone for six weeks. 
She told me that the King wanted to invite M. de Talleyrand 
and me to Windsor during our stay at Salt Hill, but that she 
herself had dissuaded him as it would have led to other 
invitations, and they would have had to ask, among other 
people, the Princesse de Lieven, for whom the King does not 
care. 

The Queen coughs and thinks herself quite ill, but she 
hopes to be restored by her native air. 

It is impossible not to be struck, every time one sees her, 
with the perfect simplicity, truth and uprightness of her 
Majesty's character. I have rarely seen a person more 
devoted to duty or more self-consistent in all that she says 
and does. She is both kind and cheerful, and, though not 
beautiful, she is perfectly graceful. The tones of her voice 



86 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

are unfortunately nasal, but what she says is so full of good 
sense and real kindness that it is a pleasure to listen to her. 
The satisfaction she feels in speaking German is very natural, 
and I feel this every time she does so. 1 wish, however, 
that she indulged herself in this way more sparingly in the 
presence of English people. In her own interest it would 
be better for her if she had more of the Englishwoman in 
her ; no one could have remained more characteristically 
German than she has, and I fear that this sometimes gives 
offence. How is a monarch to escape doing so nowadays ? 
They are made responsible for everything and are always 
threatened with punishment merited or unmerited. The 
poor Queen has already a sad experience of the bitterness of 
unpopularity and of calumny. She has always faced attack 
with dignity and valour, and I am sure she has courage 
enough to confront any danger. 

This is St. Philip's day ; the Lievens and Lady Cowper 
dined with us, and Prince Esterhazy came in afterwards. I 
have noticed for some time a certain sharpness in his manner 
to the Lievens which is unusual in him. The pleasantries 
which he addresses to the Princess soon turn to irony. I 
suspect that on her side she will not regret his departure. 
She has never managed to subdue him ; he slips through 
her fingers, and his jests, always subtle and sometimes mali- 
cious, embarrass her and put her out. They are constantly 
on their guard wifii one another, and they make up for the 
resulting constraint by frequent interchanges of pin pricks. 

The Queen told me that Esterhazy, Avhen lately at 
Windsor, spoke to her of M. de Talleyrand with the greatest 
enthusiasm, saying that one of his greatest pleasures was to 
listen to his conversation. He added, that when he got 
home he often made a note of what he had heard from 
M. de Talleyrand. It seems that Esterhazy keeps a 
journal in great detail. He told the Queen so, and explained 
that this habit was of such long standing that the journal 
already filled several large volumes, which he was fond of 
re-reading. The Queen was surprised, not unnaturally, to 
discover such a sedentary habit so consistently maintained 



A STRIKE OF TAILORS 37 

by one whose manners were so restless and whose ideas were 
so often scattered. 

Lord Palmerston since our return from France has never 
accepted an invitation to dinner with us, and has never come 
to a single one of our receptions. However, we invited him 
again to-night, and thought that the presence of Lady Cowper 
might attract him, but he sent excuses at the last moment. 

London^ Friday, May 2, 1834. — Alva writes that he 
hears from his nephew, the Marquis de Miraflores the Spanish 
Minister in London, that Lord Palmerston never ceases 
praising the brilliancy of his diplomatic debut here. The 
marquis, being a fool, does not perceive the cause of this 
eulogium, which is, of course, the treaty of quadruple alliance 
proposed by him at Lord Palmerston's own instigation, the 
results of which, though by no means apparent as yet, may 
be more embarrassing than pleasing to its author and to 
France. 

M. de Montrond writes to M. de Talleyrand to say that 
he has caused his desire to come to London to be intimated 
to M. de Rigny, who, before allowing him to go, desires him 
to make sure whether M. de Talleyrand would like it. M. 
de Montrond is much annoyed at this obstacle, but I am 
grateful to M. de Rigny for having raised it. As a matter 
of fact, last year M. de Montrond professed to be charged 
with a secret diplomatic mission, and was simply a nuisance. 
The bad temper he felt and showed when he was not 
admitted to the secret concerns of the Embassy often made 
him forget his manners, annoyed M. de Tallyrand and was 
most unpleasant for everybody. For the last eighteen 
months M. de Montrond has had the management of a 
thousand Louis of the Foreign Affairs Secret Service money : 
I doubt if he ever gives them back the change ! 

In London all the workmen are in rebellion ; the tailors 
have stopped work for want of hands. It is said that on 
the cards for Lady Lansdowne's ball there was inscribed : 
" The gentlemen to appear in their old coats." Now the 
laundries have caught the infection, and soon we shall have 
to wash our own linen like the princesses in the Odyssey. 



38 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

London, May 3, 1834. — M. de Talleyrand speaks with as 
much truth as wit of the " dangerous benevolence " of Lord 
Holland. With the most perfect geniality, the most 
equable temper, the gayest pleasantries, and the most 
obliging manner in the world, his Lordship is always ready 
to set light to the revolutionary train, and he feels the 
greatest annoyance of which he is capable when he is 
unsuccessful. 

Yesterday I dined with Sir Stratford Canning. His 
house is curious, beautiful, admirably planned and full of 
souvenirs of Constantinople and of Spain. He himself is 
full of courtesy and learning ; his conversation is witty, and 
if it were not for a certain contraction of the lips which 
spoils an otherwise fine face, and for the oppressed air 
of his wife, one could hardly understand the bad accounts 
of him which one hears almost everywhere. This, at 
least, was the pretext on which the Czar refused to receive 
him last winter as Ambassador at St. Petersburg. 

London, May 4, 1834. — Koreff is a braggadocious creature 
with a vein of indiscreet curiosity which I have sometimes 
noticed on the Continent, and which here inspires me with 
the most profoimd mistrust. His wit and his learning are 
lost among the bad features of his character, which often 
make him quite impossible. He lives on gossip of all kinds, 
public and private, and when he can get nothing else to 
talk about he talks about medicine. Then he assumes the 
physician and deifies his art. You hear of patients saved by 
him when all hope was gone ; of his marvellous discoveries, 
of magnetism, homeopathy true and false, of things natural 
and supernatural, possible and impossible. Everything 
serves to magnify his importance, to surround the poor 
creature with an atmosphere of the marvellous, which covers 
his want of real dignity. 

We had him to dinner with Sir Henry Halford, and I 
don't think they took to each other. What, indeed, could 
they have in common } Science perhaps, if by science they 
both understood the same thing. Sir Henry is a suave and 
polished person — measured, discreet, supple, and deferential ; 



THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON 39 

a perfect courtier, a man of fortune, highly respected, and a 
great practitioner. He has never sought to be anything to 
the great but their doctor, and consequently, without seek- 
ing it, he has found himself in all family and State secrets. 
Koreff, on the other hand, poses as a man of letters and a 
statesman, and has thus made persons in great places chary 
of having him as their doctor. This was how he came to 
grief at Berlin ; he will find it difficult to regain his ground 
at Paris, and he won't, in my opinion, be a success in 
London. 

A propos of gossip and indiscreet curiosity, I cannot forget 
a very true reflection which the Duke of Wellington has 
just imparted to me on the subject of Alava. "Whoever 
aims at being in everybody's confidence," said his Grace, 
" must necessarily give his own confidence to more than one 
person, and this he usually does at some one else's expense." 
The Duke's honest commonsense is admirable. I had a 
long talk with him to-day at dinner, and I should like to 
remember everything he said. Truth and simplicity are 
becoming so rare that one is anxious to gather up the 
crumbs. 

The Duke of Wellington's memory is very sure. He 
never quotes inexactly ; he forgets nothing and never 
exaggerates ; and if there is something a trifle abrupt, a 
little dry and military in his conversation, what he says is 
nevertheless attractive owing to its naturalness, its fairness, 
and the perfect good manners with which he says it. His 
manners are indeed excellent, and a woman has never to be 
on her guard against a conversation taking an awkward 
turn. In this respect he is much more reserved than 
Lord Grey, though in many ways the latter's education is 
more elaborate and his intelligence more cultivated than the 
Duke's. 

The Duke of Wellington made a rather striking remark 
to me about the English character, to the efffect that no 
people have a greater hatred of crimes of violence. In 
England a murder is discovered with the greatest prompti- 
tude. Every one helps to discover the assassin ; tracks him 



40 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

out and denounces him, and is eager that justice should be 
done. He assured me tliat the Enghsh soldier is tlie least 
cruel in the world, and that once a battle is over he hardly 
ever commits deeds of violence. He is a great robber, no 
doubt, but not a murderer. 

The excessive and naive vanity of Lady Jersey, which 
amuses the Duke, led us to talk of Madame de Stael, with 
whom he was well acquainted, and whose absurd pretensions 
struck him as much as her wit and eloquence dazzled him. 
IVIadame de Stiiel, who wished to appear to his Grace in 
every character — even in the most feminine — observed one 
day that what she liked most in the world to hear was a 
declaration of love. She was so elderly and so ugly that 
the Duke could not help replying, " Yes, when you can be 
sure that it is genuine." 

Lady Londonderry, who is celebrated for her eccentricities, 
being near her time, and certain she would have a son, 
has ordered a little hussar costume — the uniform of her hus- 
band's regiment. When she was ordering it she told the 
tailor that it was for a child six days old. " Your ladyship 
means six years ? "" replied the tailor. " No, indeed," 
ansAvered Lady Londonderry ; " six days ; it is for his 
baptism ! " 

In the last years of George IV. the Duke of Cumberland 
enjoyed a good deal of his favour. Yet it was then tliat 
the King said, in reply to the Duke of Wellington's inquiry 
why H.R.H. was so universally unpopular : " It is because 
there ai-e no lovers, no brotliers and sisters, no friends, whom 
the Duke of Cumberland would not set by the ears if he 
came among tliem." It is said, however, that the Duke is 
no fool, but so cross-grained that he spoils everything 
he touches. 

The Queen's approaching departure for Germany is caus- 
ing anxiety to the King's best friends. It appears tliat his 
Majesty, who is the best of men, is subject to occasional 
attacks of strange excitement, that he takes extraordinary 
ideas into his head, and that his condition is sometimes so 
abnormal tliat he threatens to lose his balance altogether, 



CABINET INTRIGUES 41 

The Queen, with her watchful kindness and her excellent 
good sense, watches over him at these crises, cuts them 
short, exercises a calming and moderating influence, and 
brings him back to a proper frame of mind. 

At the present moment the King is very angry with 
Dom Pedro about the last commercial decree, which was 
published in Portugal the very day before the signature of 
the treaty of quadruple alliance in London. His annoyance 
will probably not carry him so far as to refuse to ratify the 
treaty, for with all his goodness the poor King is not very 
" consistent," as they say here. 

I am told that Lord Durham was so uplifted by the 
reception prepared for him two years ago at St. Petersburg 
by the efforts of Madame de Lieven, and by that which he 
obtained recently at Paris (thanks to M. de Talleyrand's 
letters), that he doesn't think that a private situation is any 
longer worthy of him. His plan, of which he makes no secret, 
is to tiu-n out Lord Grey, his father-in-law, and to put 
himself in his place, or at least to get into the Cabinet, the 
result of which would be the resignation of all the other 
members. He would, perhaps, consent to be satisfied with 
the Viceroyalty of Ireland, or as a last resort to take the 
Embassy at Paris ; but if all these fail, he declares that he 
will put himself openly at the head of the Radicals and 
declare a war to the knife on all existing institutions. 

I know that Pozzo is writing hymns in honour of the 
King of the French, reminiscences of which occur in the 
speech he has just made on the occasion of the Feast of 
St. Philip. He doesn't mind M. de Rigny, for, as a matter 
of fact, it is the King who is now his own Minister of Foreign 
Affairs. Above all, he seems much pleased to be rid of 
M. de Broglie, whose passion for argument, scornful manners, 
and exclusive devotion to Lord Granville did not smooth or 
sweeten his relations with the rest of the diplomatic corps. 

Pozzo, like many others, does not think that France has 
got through her revolutionary troubles. He seems anxious 
about the future, and I think this feeling is shared by all 
who are not blinded by preposterous over- confidence, 



42 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

London, May 5, 1834. — I have just heard a piece of 
very sad news, my excellent friend the Abbe Girollet is very 
ill. I shall soon have no one left to love, no one in whose 
affection I can trust. The dear Abbe was so happy at 
Rochecotte in his pretty house among his books, his flowers, 
his poor, and his neighbours. It was a touching pictiu-e 
which I had few opportunities of enjoying, and which I 
shall probably never see again. It will remain to me as a 
dream cut short by my absence, but pleasant to remember 
while life lasts, for it will be consecrated to the purest and 
most faithful of God's servants, to the most faithful of 
friends, to the most tolerant of men. 

The Duchess of Kent gave a reception last night in 
honour of her brother, Duke Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg. 
There was such a crowd that it was like one of the Queen's 
drawing-rooms. The young Princess Victoria struck me the 
moment I saw her as having grown a little and as being 
paler and thinner. By this she is much improved, though 
still too small for the fifteen years which she will complete 
in three weeks time. The little queen that is to be has a 
fine complexion and magnificent chestnut hair. In spite of 
her small stature she is well made ; she will have pretty 
shoulders and fine arms, her expression and her manners are 
sweet and kindly, she speaks several languages fluently, and 
it is said that she is being very carefully educated. Her 
mother and the Baroness Lehzen, a German lady, take 
complete charge of the Princess. The Duchess of North- 
umberland only fulfils her functions as Governess on State 
occasions. I have heard the Duchess of Kent reproached 
for surrounding her daughter so much with Germans that 
her English accent is defective. 

London, May 6, 1834. — Last night I dined at Lord 
Sefton's ; he was just back from the House of Lords, where 
Lord Londonderry had been renewing his attack of a few 
years ago, and accusing the Government of being managed 
and duped by " that wily politician " M. de Talleyrand. 
His expressions are as unalterable as his opinions, for they 
are the very ones he used three years ago. On that 



A DECLINE AT THE OPERA 43 

occasion he was sharply taken up by the Duke of Wel- 
lington, who, though belonging to the same party as Lord 
Londonderry, made the rude speech of the latter the 
occasion for a most flattering reference to M. de Talleyrand. 
It seems that Lord Grey did the same yesterday. To him 
it came much easier, for it was his own cause that he was 
defending ; still I am obliged to him, though I do not class 
what he did with the conduct of the Duke of Wellington. 

I went with Lady Sefton to the opera of Othello. It 
used to be my favourite opera, but yesterday it did not 
impress me so favourably. Rubini, with all the grace and 
expressiveness of his singing, lacks the ringing force which 
made Garcia incomparable in the part of Othello. The 
orchestra was meagre, and the concerted pieces were not 
worked up enough. Mile. Grisi acted and sang well ; I 
thought her better than Mme. Malibran, but she fell short 
of the sublime simplicity and greatness of Mme. Pasta. 
There are more beautiful voices than hers and more beau- 
tiful women than she, but Mme. Pasta and no other is 
the true Tragic Muse, and no one can replace her in my 
admiration or in my recollection. When she was making 
her dthut at Paris, Talma, who was still alive, was trans- 
ported by her words, her poses, and her gestures, and 
exclaimed : " That woman has discovered in a day what I 
have been seeking for thirty years." 

London, May 8, 1834. — I have already spoken of the 
good action performed three years ago by the Duke of 
Wellington in answering Lord Londonderry's attack on 
M. de Talleyrand. He completed it the day before yester- 
day by showing openly by repeated exclamations of Hea/r ! 
Hear! how thoroughly he agreed with the high opinion 
which Lord Grey expressed of M. de Talleyrand. Several 
people have been kind enough to seize the opportunity of 
expressing their regard for M. de Talleyrand. Prince de 
Lieven and Prince Esterhazy, at the King's levee yesterday, 
both thanked Lord Grey for doing justice to their veteran 
colleague. 

M, de Rigny writes confidentially to M. de Talleyrand 



44 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

that the marriage of Princess Marie of Orleans to the second 
brother of the King of Naples has been decided, and that 
the contract will be prepared with Prince Butera, who has 
just arrived in Paris. The admiral seems to think that 
certain questions of interest will delay the conclusion of this 
affair. I should be sorry, for the Orleans Princesses — pleasant, 
well-mannered, well-dowered great ladies as they are, are 
none the less difficult to marry. There is about them a 
faint aroma of usurpation which deters certain princely 
families from an alliance with them. It is curious that 
King Louis Philippe, who has for his children the sort of 
affection which it is the fashion to call bourgeois, is so stiff 
about helping the Princesses, his daughters, out of their 
difficult position by the large dowries to which they are 
entitled. Princess Marie would be better in Italy than any- 
where else. She has any amount of imagination and vivacity, 
but her deportment is defective, and in spite of an education 
which should have assured her principles, she has a freedom 
of manner and conversation which might produce an idea 
(utterly mistaken as it would be) that they were not very 
solid in their foundations. 

Yesterday we carried out our plan, formed more than a 
year ago, of visiting Eltham, a barn which once was a 
banqueting-hall of the Kings of England. From the days 
of Henry III. down to the time of Cromwell, they frequently 
occupied the palace of which this hall was a part. Its 
proportions are fine, but it is no longer possible to judge 
of its decoration. Several pieces of wall, the moat, now 
planted and watered by a pretty brook, and a Gothic bridge 
covered with ivy and very picturesque, show the former 
extent of the Royal manor. 

Yesterday we dined with the Duchess of Kent. The 
strong scent of the flowers with which her small and low 
rooms were crowded, made them unwholesome without 
making them pleasant. Everything was stiff and sombre 
at this party to which a few of the nobility and the more im- 
portant of the diplomatic corps were invited to meet the Royal 
family. The Princes present Avere on far from good terms. 



A ROYAL DINNER-PARTY 45 

The King was cross with the Duchess of Kent. The Duke 
of Cumberland was absent for the good reason that he 
wasn't invited, not having called on his sister-in-law since 
his return from Berlin. Everything down to the arrange- 
ment of the chairs, which made conversation impossible, 
emphasised the weariness of the evening. The proceedings 
were interminable, the room was very hot, our hostess was 
visibly ill at ease. She is not uncivil, but has an unnatural 
sort of air, awkward and pedantic at the same time. The 
Dwke of Somerset took the most sensible course and went to 
sleep, leaning against a pilaster, immediately after dinner. 

Everybody was disposed to criticise, and hardly concealed 
their desire to do so. The Queen complained of the heat, 
and at dessert said to the Duchess that if she had eaten 
enough it would be a mercy if she might leave the table. The 
King said to his neighbours that the dinner was a Tentrep'ise, 
and pretended not to understand a word of what Duke 
Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg was saying. His Highness, who 
is the Duchess of Kent's brother, is ugly, awkward, and 
embarrassed ; he has made no great impression here, espe- 
cially not with the King, to whom he showed no great 
anxiety to be introduced. His Majesty, on the other hand, 
kept him waiting for a long time before receiving him, which 
made the Duchess of Kent very cross. 

Madame de Lieven pointed out to me the familiarity 
with which Esterhazy addresses and treats the Royal Family. 
She professed to be much scandalised, and said that the fact 
that he was a relation (to which I referred) was no excuse at all. 
They are always rivals, and this, they say, was very marked 
in the late reign. The Princesse de Lieven by cultivating 
first Lady Hertford and then Lady Conyngham, and by 
reason of her thinness, which kept the favourite from fearing 
her as a rival, managed to get into the King's intimate circle, 
and thus she contrived to get even with the Esterhazys, 
whose pleasant manners, great position, and family con- 
nection, naturally brought them nearer to the throne. 

Tlie absence of Lord Palmerston, who should have been 
asked to meet the ambassadors, was much noticed. It is 



46 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

said that he is in the Duchess of Kenfs black books, and 
that when he bows to her at Drawing-rooms she never says 
a word to him. It was a surprise, also, not to see the Saxon 
Minister, a sort of family envoy for the Queen, for the 
Duchess herself and, above all, for Duke Ferdinand, to whose 
person he is officially attached. 

The Duchess of Gloucester could not deny herself the 
pleasure of ending a civil and apologetic phrase by a 
charitable remark on the innate awkwardness of the Duchess 
of Kent, and the Princesse de Lieven was bold enough to 
recall the fact that George IV. used to speak of his sister-in- 
law as " the Swiss Governess."" Whatever be the faults of 
the Duchess of Kent, it must be admitted that her political 
conduct shows much prudence. As she will, no doubt, be 
called upon to act as Regent, this is not unimportant. No 
one knows what her political opinions are, or to what party 
she leans. She invites them all, mixes them well at her 
parties, and keeps everyone in a state of perfect balance. 
Her obstinate conduct towards the Fitzclarences is small- 
minded of her, and to explain it she affects a ridiculous 
prudery. I know that in answer to the remonstrances of 
Lord Grey on the subject, she said, stupidly enough : "But, 
my lord, you would not have me expose my daughter to 
hear people talking of bastards and have her asking me 
what it meant." " In that case, madam," replied Lord 
Grey, " do not allow the Princess to read the history of 
the country which she is destined to rule, for the first 
page will teach her that William of Normandy was called 
the Bastard before he was called the Conqueror." It is 
said that the Duchess was much annoyed with Lord Grey. 

London^ May 9, 1834. — M. de Talleyrand learns by tele- 
graphic despatch from Paris that a Secretary of Embassy 
coming from Spain brings news that Don Carlos has left the 
Peninsula, and is embarking for England, which he wishes 
to choose as arbitrator in his family quarrel about the 
Crown. This seems very improbable, and before believing 
it everybody is awaiting comfirmation. 

The curiosity and interest aroused by M. de Talleyrand 



M. DE TALLEYRAND 47 

in England are as great as ever. As we were leaving our 
carriage at Kensington the other day, we saw women being 
lifted up by their husbands in order to see him better. 
Scheffer's portrait of him is now with Colnaghi, the print- 
seller, for the purpose of being engraved. It attracts many 
interested spectators, and the shops in front of which M. de 
Talleyrand''s carriage stops are immediately surrounded by a 
crowd. The portrait at Colnaghi's is placed next to that of 
Mr. Pitt. " There is a man who made great events," said 
someone, pointing to the latter, " he " (indicating M. de 
Talleyrand) " was clever enough to foresee them and profit 
by them." 

M. de Tallejrrand told me yesterday that when he got rid 
of his priesfs orders he felt an extraordinary desire to fight a 
duel. He spent two whole months diligently looking for a 
quarrel, and fixed on the Due de Castries, who was both 
narrow-minded and hot-tempered, as the man most likely to 
gratify him. They were both members of the Club des Echecs, 
and one day when they were both there M. de Castries 
began to read aloud a pamphlet against the minority of the 
nobility. M. de Talleyrand thought he saw his chance, and 
requested M. de Castries to stop reading what was personally 
offensive to him. M. de Castries replied that at a club 
everybody might read or do what he pleased. " Very 
well ! "" said M. de Talleyrand, and placing himself at a tric- 
trac table near M. de Castries, he scattered the pieces lying 
on it with so much noise as to drown entirely the voice of 
the reader. A quarrel seemed inevitable, and M. de 
Talleyrand was delighted, but M. de Castries only flushed 
and frowned, finished his reading, and left the club without 
saying anything. Probably for him M. de Talleyrand 
could not cease to be a priest. 

London, May 10, 1834. — Yesterday I read very hurriedly 
M. de Lamennais' book the Paroles cfun Croyant ; it is the 
Apocalypse according to a Jacobin. It is, moreover, very 
tedious, which surprises me, as M. de Lamennais is a man of 
much intelligence and undeniably has talent. He has just 
reconciled himself with Rome, but this will break the peace, 



48 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

for his sworn enmity to all temporal power must be dis- 
pleasing as much to the Pope as to any autocrat. 

It was much whispered yesterday that the King of England 
was feeling more keenly than usual the influence of the 
spring season, during which every year his physical and mental 
equilibrium is markedly disturbed. When one thinks of the 
family history of the House of Brunswick one finds reason to 
be alarmed. 

I never heard on the Continent of the malady known here 
as " Hay Fever," which shows itself at the time when the hay 
is cut. At this time many people, the Duke of Devonshire 
and Lady Grosvenor among the number, suffer from fever, 
insomnia, and much nervous trouble. Those who suffer 
from this disorder come back to town and avoid all meadows 
and the scent of hay. 

The King's physical malaise, however, is accompanied by a 
curious mental agitation and a strange loquacity. If this 
unpleasant state of matters is not ended by July, I am 
convinced that the Queen will disregard his wishes, and will 
not go to Germany. She alone has any salutary and 
moderating influence on him at such times. 

I hear from Paris of the marriage of Elisabeth de Beranger 
to Charles de Vogiie, one of my cousins, who is both well bred 
and well endowed. She was much sought after, for, besides 
her birth and fortune, she has both beauty and talent. I 
knew her well when she was a child — a charming creature, 
with much vivacity and a strong will of her own — a 
characteristic which has probably become more marked since 
her mother's death, as she is an only child and worshipped 
by her father. 

Another marriage is also announced — that of my niece 
a la ynode de Bretagne, the Princesse Biron, whose Jiance is 
Colonel Lazareff, an Armenian in the Russian service. He is 
said to be fabulously rich, and to possess palaces in the East, 
and gems and treasures of all kinds. I don't know what 
brought him to Dresden, where he made my niece's 
acquaintance while she was staying with her sister, the 
Coratesse de Hohenthal. She is said to be very much in love, 



A KING DISTRAUGHT 49 

but I confess that this Armenian origin, this splendour in 
the manner of the Arabian Nights, make me rather anxious. 
Sorcerers and swindlers often come from unknown countries ; 
their jewels often turn to coal-dust; they can rarely face the 
light of day. In a word, I should have preferred for my niece 
a man who was rather better born, rather less wealthy, and 
rather less oriental. 

London^ May 12, 1834. — The febrile and nervous condition 
of the King of England becomes more and more marked ; he 
really says the most bizarre things. At the State Ball he 
said to Madame de Lieven that people's minds had been 
rather unbalanced lately, and pointing to his cousin, the 
Duke of Gloucester, he added : " Now, for instance, he believes 
in the transmigration of souls, and he thinks that the souls of 
Alexander the Great and Charles the First have passed into 
his."" The Princess replied rather flippantly : " The dear 
departed must be much astonished to find themselves there ! " 
The King looked at her with an uncertain air and went on, 
"Fortunately he is not clever enough to bring his head 
to the block;" which for His Majesty is really not so 
bad. 

What is more serious than these absurd speeches is that 
he sleeps ill, has frequent fits of anger, and has a childish 
military mania. Thus he goes to the barracks, gives the 
most preposterous orders without consulting the officers, 
reduces the regiments to disorder, and makes himself the 
laughing-stock of the troops. The Duke of Wellington and 
the Duke of Gloucester, both Field Marshals, and Lord Hill, 
the Commander-in-Chief, thought it their duty to make joint 
representations in respectful but serious terms. They were 
very ill received, Lord Hill being especially mishandled by 
his Majesty, who frightened him very much. If the poor 
King's mind were to give way they say it would certainly be 
on the subject of the army, for he thinks he has great 
military talent, or about women, with whom he thinks he 
is irresistible. They say that his only reason for hastening 
the Queen's departure is his desire to be a bachelor for six 
weeks. 



50 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

He has already taken time by the forelock in handing to 
the Queen all the presents that she will find it necessary to 
give while on the Continent. The Royal Family is very 
anxious ; they would like to prevent the King from exposing 
himself so much to the sun, from drinking so much sherry, 
from seeing so many people. They want him, in fact, to lead 
a more retired life till the present crisis, which is so much 
worse than its predecessors, has quite passed off, but he is 
very hard to manage. 

Among his strangest remarks I must quote his inquiry 
addressed to Prince Esterhazy, " whether people married in 
Greece?" " I ask," he added, noticing that the Prince was 
rather astonished, " because, as of course you know, there are 
no marriages in Russia." 

The good Duke of Gloucester, who is much attached to the 
King, is sincerely grieved. As to the Duke of Cumberland, he 
doesn''t hesitate to proclaim in the clubs that the King is 
mad, and that it is his father's case over again. This is 
neither brotherly nor filial. Some people are already 
beginning to consider who would get the Regency if this sad 
state of matters should persist or become acute ; it is still 
rather a feverish condition than absolute insanity. The 
Duchess of Kent doesn't count so long as the King lives and 
may have children. The Princess Victoria, heiress-pre- 
sumptive, is not of age, and the question would therefore be 
between the Queen and the Duke of Cumberland, both of 
whom are almost equally unfavourable to the present Cabinet. 
Thus things will be allowed to go pretty far before the 
existence of the evil is admitted. Yesterday Lord Grey 
was saying with a great affectation of emphasis, that the 
Kino; was never better in his life. 

When it became known here that Jerome Bonaparte 
intended to come, the Court of Wlirtemberg was warned 
that it would be undesirable that he should bring: the 
Princess, his wife, along with him, as, in spite of the near 
relationship, she could not be received. Jerome, therefore, 
came alone, and in spite of the hint he had received he 
sought an audience with the King which M. de Mendelsloh, 



A RADICAL PEER 51 

the Wiirtemberg minister, was foolish enough to request. 
The moment the King heard of it, he said : " He may go tc 
the Devil/' He is so touchy about the Bonapartes that he 
very nearly forbade the Duke of Sussex to come to Court for 
having received Lucien, and took it very ill that the Lord 
Chancellor exposed the Duke of Gloucester to the chance of 
meeting the Prince de Canino at one of Lady Brougham's 
parties. 

Lord Durham dined with us yesterday for the first time, and 
I had my first opportunity of a direct conversation with him. 
I watched the movements of his face, which is praised highly, 
and with reason ; but I noticed that it does not improve 
when he is speaking, and his smile suits him ill. His lips 
express bitterness more than anything else, and all that comes 
from within seems to diminish his good looks. A face may 
remain beautiful even when it ceases to express kindness, but 
a laugh which is not genial impresses me most unfavourably. 
Lord Durham passes for a wit. He is ambitious, irascible, 
a spoilt child of fortune ; the most susceptible and the 
vainest of men. For all his pretensions to a nobility dating 
from the Saxons, while his father-in-law. Lord Grey, is 
content to trace his descent back to the Conquest, Lord 
Durham professes all the most Radical doctrines. This, they 
say, is only a device to obtain power. Heaven grant that it 
may not be his ruin. 

Lo?idon, May 13, 1834. Charles X. said to Madame de 
Gontaut on April 25 : " Louise's education is finished. I 
should be glad if you would go the day after to-morrow — the 
27th." Mademoiselle who is much attached to Madame de 
Gontaut was in despair.^ 

The Duchesse de Gontaut behaved with great courage, and 
spent the 26th in vain attempts to console Mademoiselle, 
whose new governess is said to be, provisionally, the 

1 The little Court of Charles X. was the scene of two factions, one being 
the partisans of inertia, though not of resignation ; the other, being all in 
favour of action. Mme. de Gontaut fell a victim to the former, a letter in 
which she expressed disapproval of the situation to her daughter, Mme. de 
Eohan, having been intercepted. The King, whom she accused of weakness, 
reproached her violently, and after the interview she finally left Prague 
and the Court. 



52 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Vicomtesse d'Agoult. This is to replace a clever woman by 
a Saint. All this happened before the Duchesse de Berry 
arrived ; she did not get back till May 7. 

I hear that Jerome Bonaparte played the King as much as 
he could. At the Opera he sits alone at the front of his box, 
and the gentlemen who accompany him stand behind his 
chair. 

I spent an hour or more yesterday with the Princess 
Sophia of England. She is well read, a good talker and very 
animated, and yet on the plea of bad health she lives a very 
retired life. She is said to possess in a high degree the 
talent (if it can be so called) of mimicry in which she 
resembles his late Majesty George IV. I am told that they 
used to amuse each other very much and mutually drew each 
other out. Yesterday, indeed, the conversation turned on 
Mme. d'Ompteda, a good sort of woman, but, to say the 
least, eccentric, and the Princess was pleased to repeat 
for my benefit a complaint which Mme. d'Ompteda had 
made to her of someone at Court. It was the most comic 
imitation I have ever seen, and I was so convulsed with 
laughter that I had to beg the Princess's pardon. She did 
not appear, however, to be very much shocked at my uncon- 
ventional behaviour. 

London, May 14, 1834. — M. Dupin, the elder, has written 
to M. de Talleyrand to announce his arrival, and signs him- 
self " voire affectionne Dupin!''' M. Dupin has often taken 
M. de Talleyrand's part, and I believe to good purpose, but 
his letters did not use to be so Royal in their terms. 

It appears that the Quadruple Alliance Treaty has reached 
Lisbon and has been approved. The ratification is expected 
at any moment in spite of the violent anger of Dom Pedro, 
who is much incensed because France, England, and Spain 
thought fit to give the title Infante to Dom Miguel in spite 
of Dom Pedro's decree depriving him of it. 

London, May 15, 1834. — It is asserted that M. Dupin 
is coming to London to show himself, wishing to accustom 
Europe to his greatness, for it seems that he hopes next 
session to combine the Presidency of the Council with the 



LONDON AT ITS BEST 53 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In a time like the present it is 
no longer safe to describe the most extravagant ideas as 
chimerical ! This is not the first time that M. Dupin has 
aspired to the portfolio of Foreign Affairs. Two years ago 
he tried to take it by force, and when the King tried to make 
him see that he was perhaps not quite fit for this department, 
M. Dupin had a violent fit of temper, and taking one of his 
feet in both hands he showed the sole of his shoe to the King, 
saying, " Ah ! Ah ! is it because I have nails in my shoes 
that I am not considered fit to treat with Monsieur Lord 
Granville I " The King, in spite of his habitual indulgence, 
grew so angry at the increasing insolence of M. Dupin that 
he seized him by the collar and, pressing his closed fist 
against his chest, forced him out of the room. This I have 
from an eye-witness. They were soon reconciled however, and 
met again on friendly terms. The Parisians have thick skins. 

The Quotidienne at first praised M. de la Mennais's text- 
book, but after some hesitation the Faubourg St.-Germain 
decided to dislike it. They even asked M. de Chateaubriand 
to undertake a refutation, but he replied that he admired 
every page and every line of it, and that if he said anything 
publicly about it at all he would give it the praise which it 
deserves. M. de Chateaubriand becomes, or affects to 
become, more and more Republican, and is saying that any 
form of monarchy has become impossible in France. 

The Carlists are going to take part in the elections, and to 
send as many Republicans to the Chamber as they can when 
they can't succeed themselves. The words Republic and 
Republican are now current everywhere and no one is shocked. 
People's ears have got used to them. 

London, May 16, 1834. — This is the most charming time 
at which to see London. The squares are green and full of 
flowers ; the vegetation in the parks is extraordinarily rich ; 
all the balconies of the houses are packed with plants. All 
this, with the creepers which cover many of the houses up to 
the second storey, makes such a pretty picture that one is the 
less inclined to regret the sun, which would soon put an end 
to all its freshness. 



54 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

The same sort of reflection occurred to me yesterday 
morning at the Queen's Drawing-room, where the brilliancy 
of these splendid English complexions, the beautiful blonde 
hair falling in long ringlets on the rosiest cheeks and the 
whitest necks in the world, almost prevented one from 
lamenting the absence of expression and movement which 
accompanies these beauties. It is the fashion to criticise 
Englishwomen for their want of style. They walk badly, it 
is true, but in repose their nonchalance is not ungraceful. 
They are usually well made and less pinched in their toilettes 
than Frenchwomen. Their proportions are finer and more 
developed. They sometimes dress without much taste, but 
at least each pleases herself and there is a diversity in their 
dresses which brings out each one very well. The bare 
shoulders, the flat coiffures, and the long locks of the young 
girls here, would be very unsuitable in France, where very 
young girls are almost all small, dark and thin. 

I am tempted to apply to Englishmen morally what I 
say of English gardens and of the beauty of Englishwomen. 
Their conversation is cold, reserved and unimaginative to a 
degree which, for a long time, is very tedious. But this 
feeling gives way to one of real pleasure if one takes the 
trouble to look for the good sense, the goodness, the learning, 
and the cleverness which are concealed under the shyness and 
embarrassment of their exterior. One has hardly ever any 
reason to regret having encouraged their timidity, for they 
never become either familiar or indiscreet, and they are so 
grateful to one for having divined them and for coming to the 
rescue of their mauvaise honte that this alone is a reward in 
itself. I only wish that they would not expose those 
miserable orange blossoms to the thick fogs of their atmo- 
sphere, that the women would not take the Paris Journal des 
Modes as a model of dress, and the men would not attempt 
the freer and more animated style of conversation which is 
current on the Continent. Detestable caricatures when they 
are copying others, the English are admirable when they are 
themselves ; they are well fitted to their own territory, and 
they should be judged only on their own ground. An 



KINGLY ATTRIBUTES 55 

Englishman on the Continent is so much out of his element 
that he runs the risk of being taken either for an idiot or a 
coxcomb. 

London, May 17, 1834. — The Swedish Minister, M. de 
Bjoerstjerna, who is always singing the praises of his sovereign 
even in the most trifling matters, was boasting to M. de 
Talleyrand the other day of the strength, the grace, and the 
youthfulness which King Charles-John has retained at his 
advanced age. He was particularly enthusiastic about the 
thickness of his Majesty's hair, which he asserted was all " as 
black as jet." "That seems indeed wonderful," said M. de 
Talleyrand, " but is it not possible that the King dyes his 
hair ? " " No, I assure you," replied the Swede. " Then it is 
indeed extraordinary," said M. de Talleyrand. " Yes, indeed," 
continued M. de Bjoerstjerna, " the man who every morning 
pulls out the white hairs from his Majesty's head must have 
sharp eyes." This is worthy of the popular reputation of 
Sweden as the Gascony of the North. 

Samuel Rogers the poet is, no doubt, a great wit ; but he has 
a turn for malice and even brutality. Someone once asked 
him why he never opened his mouth except to speak evil of 
his neighbours. He replied, " I have a very weak voice, and 
if I did not say malicious things I should never be heard." 
He lives with Lady Holland, and amuses himself by 
exacerbating her fears of illness and death. During the 
cholera epidemic Lady Holland was a prey to indescribable 
terrors. She could think of nothing but precautionary 
measures, and on one occasion was describing to Rogers all 
that she had done. She numerated the remedies she had 
placed in the next room — the baths, the apparatus for 
fumigation, the blankets, the mustard plasters, the drugs of 
every sort. " You have forgotten the only thing that would 
be of any use," observed Mr. Rogers. "And what is 
that } " " A coffin," replied the poet. Lady Holland fainted. 

Count Pahlen has returned from Paris. He saw the King 
privately one evening, not having with him the uniform 
necessary for a formal presentation. The King said he 
should like to see him at one of the gi'eat balls at the Palace, 



56 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

and, the Count having excused himself on the score of having 
no uniform, the King replied, " Never mind, come in an 
evening coat as a member of the opposition ! *" As a matter 
of fact, M. de Pahlen went to the ball, which was splendid 
in a material sense, and found himself and a group of 
opposition deputies in plain clothes among the Diplomatic 
Corps, and what is called the Court who were all in uniform. 

Prince Esterhazy came to say good-bye yesterday. He 
was visibly moved on leaving M. de Talleyrand, who, on his 
side, was hardly less so. One cannot part from anyone so 
old as M. de Talleyrand without a feeling of anxiety, and 
when an old man says farewell he does so with a kind of 
self-consciousness which is unmistakable. 

Prince Esterhazy is generally popular here, and will be 
justly regretted. Everybody wishes him very much to come 
back. The subtlety of his wit does not affect the uprightness 
of his character. The sureness of his manners is beyond 
praise, and in spite of a certain informality in his bearing, 
and his ways of behaving, he never ceases to be a great 
nobleman. 

London^ May 18, 1834. — This week the King of England 
seems better. The weather is not so hot, and his excitement 
has given place to a kind of exhaustion. He has often 
been seen with tears in his eyes. This, too, is a sign of want 
of balance, but it is less alarming than the irritability of last 
week. 

Wohurn Abbey, May 19, 1834. — This house is certainly 
one of the finest, the most magnificent, and the greatest in 
England. The exterior is without interest ; the site is low and, 
I think, rather damp. English people, however, hate to be 
seen, and, to secure privacy, are quite willing to dispense with 
an extended view. It is rare that a great house in England 
has any prospect but that of its immediate surroundings, and 
you need not hope to amuse yourself by watching the move- 
ments of the passers by, the travellers, the peasants working in 
the fields, the villages or the surrounding country. Green 
lawns, the flowers round about the house, and splendid trees 
which block all the vistas — these are what they love and what 



WOBURN ABBEY 57 

you find almost everywhere. Warwick and Windsor are the 
only exceptions that I know at present. 

The party at present at Woburn are almost the same as 
those I met on my first visit. There are Lord and Lady 
Grey with their daughter Lady Georgina, Lord and Lady 
Sefton, Mr. Ellice, Lord Ossulston, the Duke and Duchess, 
three of their sons, one of their daughters, M. de Talleyrand 
and I. 

All these people are clever, well educated and well 
mannered, but, as I observed before, English reserve is 
pushed further at Woburn than anywhere else, and this in 
spite of the almost audacious freedom of speech affected by 
the Duchess of Bedford, who is a striking contrast to the 
silence and shyness of the Duke and the rest of the family. 
Moreover, in the splendour, the magnificence, and the size 
of the house, there is something which makes the company 
cold and stiff, and Sunday, though it was not kept very 
strictly, and they made M. de Talleyrand sit down to cards, 
is always rather more serious than any other day in the 
week. 

Woburn Abbey, May 20, 1834. — Our party has been in- 
creased by the arrival of the Lord Chancellor. He talked 
to me of the great aristocrats of the country, and said that 
previous to Reform the Duke of Devonshire with his dS'440,000 
sterling a year, his castles, and his eight boroughs, was as 
powerful as the King himself. This expression '^previous to 
Reform " well expresses the blow which has been struck at 
the ancient constitution. I made Lord Brougham admit as 
much. He maintained that it was necessary, and though he 
began by saying that he had only clipped wings which had 
become rather too long, he ended by claiming that a complete 
revolution had been effected without bloodshed. " The 
great moment of our Revolution," he added with evident 
satisfaction, "was in 1831, when we dissolved the parliament 
which had dared to reject our Bill. The people is as 
imperishable as the soil, and all changes must in the end work 
for their benefit. An aristocracy which has lasted for five 
centuries has lasted as long as it can last ! " This was the 



58 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

point in his conversation which chiefly struck me, the more 
so as he commenced with a sort of hypocrisy which 
evaporated sooner than mine. He began by sparing my 
aristocratic prejudices to some extent, and I returned the 
compliment by sparing his passion for levelling. Five 
minutes more of our tete-a-tete and he would have got to 
1640 and I to 1660. 

Lo7idon, May 21, 1834. — They showed us a corner of the 
park at Woburn which I had forgotten. It is called the 
Thornery, because of the number of hawthorns which the 
enclosure contains. The blossom is very charming just now, 
and there is a cottage in the middle which is quite pretty. 

Lord Holland told the Duke of Bedford that he should 
take us to Ampthill, which belongs to him and which lies 
only seven miles from Woburn. Lady Holland wanted us 
very much to see a fine portrait of herself as a Virgin of 
the Sun which is there, and which is, in fact, very pleasing ; it 
must have been very like her. 

The house at Ampthill is gloomy, damp, ill-furnished, and 
ill-kept — a sad contrast with one of the most delightful 
parks you could see anywhere. It is not, however, without 
some associations of interest. Katherine of Aragon retired 
here after her divorce, but there is no trace of the ancient 
castle which was on the mountains, and not at the bottom of 
the valley like the present house. A Gothic cross is placed 
on the site of the ancient building, and on the base are 
inscribed some bad verses, which have not even the merit of 
being contemporary, commemorating the cruelties of Henry 
VIII. Another of the curiosities of the place is a number of 
trees so old that, in the time of Cromwell, they were already 
past being used for shipbuilding. They have quite lost 
their beauty, and will soon be like what in Touraine are 
called " truisses,'''' 

Lord Sefton said yesterday in the presence of Lord 
Brougham that all Queen Caroline's defenders had risen 
to the highest positions in the State, and instanced Lord 
Grey, Lord Brougham, and others. On this, I said to the 
Chancellor that I supposed he would now be ready to admit 



M. DE LIEVEN'S RECALL 59 

that his cause was a very bad one. But he would not admit 
it, and tried to convince us that if the Queen did have lovers, 
Bergami was not among the number. He wished us to 
believe that he at least was convinced of this, and in support 
of this assertion, which neither he nor anyone else took 
seriously, he told us that during the last three hours of the 
Queen's life, when she was quite delirious, she spoke much of 
Prince Louis of Prussia, of Victorine Bergami's child, and of 
several other people, but never once mentioned Bergami 
himself. I thought that for a great lawyer, this style of 
proof was much too negative and inconclusive. 

London^ May 22, 1834. — On our return to town yesterday, 
we heard the news of the Prince de Lieven's recall. This is 
a political event of some importance ; it is a very serious 
matter for London society. M. de Lieven's excellent 
character, his cleverness and perfect manners won him 
friendship and esteem everywhere, and Mme. de Lieven of 
all women is the most feared, respected, sought after, and 
courted. Her political importance, which was due to her wit 
and knowledge of the world, went side by side with an 
authority in society which no one dreamed of questioning. 
There were complaints sometimes of her tyranny, of her 
exclusiveness, but she maintained in this way a useful barrier 
between really good society and society of the second class. 
Her house was the most select in London, and the one the 
entree to which was the most valued. Her grand air, which 
was perhaps a trifle stiff, was most appropriate on great 
occasions, and I can hardly imagine a Drawing-room without 
her. Except Lord Palmerston, who has brought it about by 
his obstinate arrogance, in the matter of Sir Stratford 
Canning, I am sure that no one is glad at the departure of 
M. and Madame de Lieven. M, de Blilow, however, is 
perhaps also rather relieved to be freed from the surveillance 
of the Princesse. The part he had to play before her was 
never a simple or an easy one. 

M. de Lieven's appointment as Governor of the young 
Grand Duke may flatter and console him, but it can hardly 
give hennuch pleasure, and she will not care much for the 



60 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

frigidity and emptiness of St. Petersburg after twenty-two 
years spent in England amid political excitements of all 
kinds. 

It would appear that the three Northern Courts, in opposi- 
tion to the Southern Quadruple Alliance are disposed to con- 
clude a separate engagement with Holland. Little is being 
said, but arms are being sharpened in silence. 

The Cortes is summoned for July 24. The telegraphic 
news from Spain, which arrived the other day, only caused a 
flutter on 'Change and evaporated pitiably enough. I hear 
from Paris that General Harispe has been requested not to 
telegraph in future anything that is doubtful, and that the 
President of the Council has been made to promise not to 
spread news of this kind before it is confirmed. 

Admiral Roussin has refused the Ministry of Marine. 
There was some question of appointing Admiral Jacob. 
M. de Rigny left the Council quite free to appoint him either 
Minister of Marine or Minister of Foreign Affairs. The 
decision is not yet known. 

Apropos of the departure of the Lievens, the Princesse tells 
me that some weeks ago when Lord Heytesbury came back 
from St. Petersburg, Lord Palmerston said to M. de Lieven 
that he intended to appoint Sir Stratford Canning as 
Ambassador. The Prince de Lieven wrote to his Government, 
and M. de Nesselrode replied in the name of the Emperor 
that the violent temper and unaccommodating disposition, 
and, indeed, the whole character of Sir Stratford, were person- 
ally disagreeable to him and that he desired that someone 
else might be sent — anyone but Sir Stratford. Lord 
Palmerston then explained his reasons for wishing to overcome 
this opposition, and M, de Lieven promised to lay them 
before the Emperor. The next day he sent a courier with 
despatches to this effect to St. Petersburg, but the courier 
had hardly embarked before the nomination of Sir Stratford 
Canning as Ambassador at St. Petersburg appeared in the 
London Gazette. This piece of discoinrtesy confirmed the 
Russian opposition on the one hand, and the obstinacy of 
Lord Palmerston on the other. The English Cabinet claimed 



A REGKETFUL FAREWELL 61 

to nominate whom it pleased to diplomatic positions, and 
the Emperor Nicolas, without contesting its right to do so, 
claimed an equal right on his part to receive only whom he 
pleased. The breach widens, and the opposition of the two 
political systems, coupled with the antagonism of individuals, 
makes one fear that in the present complicated state of 
international politics peace is neither well established nor 
likely to last for long. 

London, May 23, 1834. — I believe the Cabinet is 
embarrassed by M. de Lieven's departure, and that Lord 
Grey is personally very sorry. Lord Brougham also seems to 
feel how regrettable it all is. I have long letters on the 
subject from them both, which are very interesting and which 
I shall carefully preserve. 

M. de la Fayette is dead. Though he had all his life never 
given M. de Talleyrand cause to like him, his death has not 
been indifferent to the Prince. At eighty-four and upwards 
it must seem that all one's contemporaries are one"'s friends. 

London, May 24, 1834. — Lord Grey has just paid me a 
long and very friendly visit. He was much grieved at the 
departure of the Lievens, but was at pains to refute the 
opinion that the rudeness of Lord Palmerston was the cause. 
I could see that he was most anxious that the germs of 
controversy between M. de Talleyrand and Lord Palmerston 
should not develop. He could not have shown more personal 
goodwill to us than he did. 

We dined at Richmond with the poor Princesse de Lieven, 
who is really much to be pitied. I fear that things are 
really much worse for her than they seem. I think that she 
flatters herself that she will be able to keep up with things 
both by reason of the confidence of the Emperor and the 
friendship of M. de Nesselrode, as also through the favour 
enjoyed by her brother. General de Benckendorff. I fear, 
however, that she will soon lose touch with the map of 
Europe, or that she will only be able to look at it through 
some very small spy-hole, which would certainly be for her a 
living death. Her hopes and her regrets are all expressed with 
naturalness and vivacity, and she seemed to me even nicer 



62 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

than usual, for she was keeping nothing back, and was 
quite simple and unconstrained. Such communicativeness 
in persons usually reserved always produces a specially 
striking impression. 

The abominable article about her in the Times, which is 
really a disgrace to the country, made her weep at first. She 
confessed that she was deeply hurt to think that these were 
the farewell words addressed to her by the people of a 
country which she was leaving with so much regret. But 
she soon felt that nothing could be more despicable or more 
generally despised. In the end she recovered her equanimity 
so completely that she described in her best manner (which 
is very good indeed) a ridiculous scene in which the Mar- 
quis de Miraflores played a prominent part. This little 
creature, whom I have always considered an insupportable 
idiot, but whose face pleased Mme. de Lieven as it certainly 
did not please me, came and sat beside her at a Ball at 
Almacks. The Princess having asked him whether he 
were not struck with the beauty of the English girls, he 
replied with a sentimental air, a voice full of emotion, and a 
long and significant look, that he did not like women too 
young, and preferred those who had ceased to be so and 
whom people called passee. 

The Duchess of Kent has a really remarkable talent for 
giving offence whenever it is possible to do so. To-day is her 
daughter''s birthday, and she was to have taken her for the 
first time on this occasion to Windsor, where there was to be 
a family party in honour of the occasion. Owing to the 
death of the little Belgian Prince, who was less than a 
year old, and whom neither his aunt nor his cousin had ever 
even seen, the Duchess decided not to grace this mild festivity 
with her presence. Nothing could have annoyed the King 
more. 

London, May 25, 18S4. — King Leopold seems disposed 
to call his nephews to the succession to the Belgian Throne. 
Does this mean that he has ceased to count on direct 
descendants ? They are annoyed about it at the Tuileries, 
but I fancy that no one minds very much anywhere else, as 



A RIFT IN THE CABINET 63 

the new kingdom and the new dynasty are not taken very 
seriously as yet. 

The exhibition of pictures at Somerset House is very 
mediocre, even worse than last year's. The sculpture is 
worse still. The English excel in the arts of imitation, 
but are behind everybody in those which require imagina- 
tion. This is one of the most conspicuous results of the 
absence of sun. Surrounded as they are by masterpieces 
from the Continent British artists produce nothing which 
can be compared with these ! All colour is lost in the fog 
which envelops them. 

London^ May 26, 1834. — Lord Grey's Ministry is on 
the verge of breaking up, owing to the resignations of Mr. 
Stanley and Sir James Graham, which are threatened if he 
makes further concessions to the Irish Catholics at the expense 
of the Anglican Church. If he refuses these concessions in 
order to keep Mr. Stanley, whose parliamentary talents are of 
the first order, the Cabinet will probably find themselves in a 
minority in the House of Commons, and the fall of the whole 
Ministry will be the result. This, at least, is what was being 
said and believed yesterday, and Lord Grey's careworn face 
at Lord Durham's dinner-party, and some remarks which Lady 
Tankerville, with naive silliness, let fall, gave ample confirma- 
tion to the rumour. The question will be settled to-morrow 
(Tuesday the 27th) on the occasion of Mr. Ward's motion. 

Madame de Lieven has not concealed from me her 
hope that, if the Cabinet changes, either wholly or in 
part, and if Lord Palmerston is among those who go out, 
there may be a chance of her staying here. She flatters 
herself that the first act of the new Foreign Secretary would 
be to ask the Russian Government that M. de Lieven might 
not be removed. In these circumstances, she added, she 
would count on the influence of M. de Talleyrand with the 
new Minister, whoever he might be, to persuade him to take 
this step. 

London^ May 27, 1834. — It is a ciu-ious thing that 
Marshal Ney's son, who is in London, should wish to be 
presented at the Court of England who abandoned his 



64 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

father when they might have saved him. It is also curious 
that he should wish to get himself presented by M. de Talley- 
rand, who was Minister when the Marshal was arrested and 
tried, and that his presentation should take place on the same 
day as that of M. Dupin, who was his father's defender, and 
that all this should happen in the presence, as it were, of 
the Duke of Wellington who, without departing in the least 
from the terms of the capitulation of Paris, might have 
protected the prisoner, but did not think fit to do so. The 
young Prince de la Morkowa doubtless failed to make these 
reflections, but M. de Talleyrand knew very well that others 
would make them for him, that they would be unpleasant 
for everyone concerned, and by no means least for the young 
man himself. He, therefore, declined to make the presenta- 
tion on the ground that the interval between his receiving 
the request and the date of the presentation was too short 
to fulfil the necessary formalities. 

Yesterday, at seven o''clock in the evening, I received an 
interesting note from a confidential friend of the Prime 
Minister : " Nothing has changed since yesterday, and there 
is no improvement in the situation. We shall spend to- 
night in trying to keep the question open, that is to 
say, to keep it from being regarded as a Cabinet question, 
and to leave everyone free to vote as he likes. The Lord 
Chancellor is trying hard to secure the adoption of this 
expedient, but Lord Grey, who is evidently anxious to 
resign, may very likely wTeck the plan."" 

London, May 27, 1834. — After much agitation and 
uncertainty Lord Grey has decided to let Mr. Stanley and 
Sir James Graham leave the Ministry ; their example will 
probably be followed b}'^ the Duke of Richmond and Lord 
Ripon. Lord Grey remains, taking the side of INIr. Ward's 
motion. For a moment his better instincts suggested that 
he should resign, but Mr. EUice, under whose influence he is 
at present, pushed him in the other direction, and the 
Chancellor was urgent with the King, who begged Lord Grey 
to remain. 

Yesterday Ministers were singing the King's praises with 



LORD BROUGHAM 65 

tears in their eyes. The poor King, in spite of his scruples 
of conscience, has supported Reform, so the Lord Chancellor 
says he is a great King and joyfully adds, with that verbose 
intoxication which is so characteristic of him, that yesterday 
was the second great day in the annals of the beneficent 
English Revolution. This strange, undignified, unconven- 
tional Chancellor dined with us yesterday. He is dirty, 
cynical and coarse, drunk both with wine and with words, 
vulgar in his talk and ill-bred in his habits. He came 
to dine with us yesterday in a morning coat, ate with 
his fingers, tapped me on the shoulder and conversed 
most foully. Without his extraordinary gifts of memory, 
learning, eloquence and activity no one would be more 
anxious to have done with him than Lord Grey. I do 
not know any two characters more diametrically opposed. 
Lord Brougham who was wonderful in the House of 
Commons is a constant source of scandal in the Lords 
where he turns everything upside down. He, the Chan- 
cellor, is often called to order ! He is always embarrassing 
Lord Grey by his eccentricities ; in short he is wholly 
out of his element, and I believe that he would be only 
too glad to bury the whole Peerage with his own hands. 

Yesterday we had M. Dupin at dinner to meet him, 
another of the coarser products of the age. He is loud and 
sententious as becomes a public prosecutor, and he has a 
heavy plebeian vanity which is always in evidence. The first 
thing he said to the Chancellor, who remembered meeting 
him some years before, was, " Oh yes, when we were both at 
the bar." 

Lord Althorp, in the House of Commons yesterday, asked 
that Mr. Ward's motion might be adjourned in order that 
the Government might have time to fill the gaps left by 
the resignation of several members of the Cabinet. This 
was agreed to. 

No one can understand what inspires the Duchess of 
Kent's continued ill-feeling against the Queen. In spite of 
the Duchess's refusal to take the Princess Victoria to Windsor, 
the Queen wished to go to Kensington to see her the day 



66 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

before yesterday evening. The Duchess of Kent refused, on 
some trifling pretext, to receive Her Majesty, who was much 
hurt. Nobody can understand what motive there can be 
for such conduct. Lord Grey yesterday attributed it to 
Sir John Conroy, the Duchess's Gentleman-in- Waiting, who 
is said to be very ambitious, very narrow-minded, and very 
powerful with the Duchess. He thinks that if the Duchess 
became Regent he will be called upon to fill a great position, 
which he is even now anticipating. He imagines that he 
has been insulted in some way or other by the Court of 
St. James's, and his revenge is to sow discord in the Royal 
family. I heard of the latest scene at Kensington from 
Dr. Kliper, the Queen's German Chaplain, who, on leaving 
Her Majesty yesterday morning, came to tell me how un- 
happy the good woman is about it. Lord Grey, to whom 
I was talking about it at dinner, told me that King Leopold, 
when he left England, had told him that he was very sorry 
to leave his sister under such a bad influence as that of 
Sir John Conroy, but that, as the Princess Victoria was fifteen 
and would be of age at eighteen, the Duchess would either 
not be Regent at all or would be so only for a very short time. 
London, May 29, 1834. — Princess Victoria as yet only 
appears at the two Drawing-Rooms which celebrate the 
respective birthdays of the King and Queen. I thought at 
yesterday's (which, by the way, lasted more than three hours, 
and at which more than eighteen hundred people passed the 
Presence) that this young Princess had made great progress 
in the last three months. Her manners are perfect, and she 
will one day be agreeable enough to be almost pretty. Like 
all Royalties, she will have acquired the art of standing for a 
long time without fatigue or impatience. Yesterday we all 
collapsed in turn, except the wife of the new Greek Minister, 
whose reliffion accustoms her to remain standing for lono: 
periods. She stood the ordeal very well, being further sup- 
ported by curiosity and by the novelty of her surroundings. 
She is astonished at everything, asks the strangest questions, 
and makes naive observations and mistakes. Thus, seeing 
the Lord Chancellor pass in his State robes and full-bottomed 



DINNER WITH PALMERSTON 67 

wig, and carrying the embroidered purse containing the 
Great Seal, she took him for a bishop carrying the Gospels, 
an error which, in the case of Lord Brougham, was par- 
ticularly comic. 

Yesterday the Princesse de Lieven, for the first time, 
appeared in the Russian national dress which has just been 
adopted at St. Petersburg for State occasions. This costume 
is so noble, so rich, and so graceful that it suits any woman, 
or rather it suits no woman ill. The Princess''s dress was 
particularly well planned and showed her off well, as the 
veil concealed the thinness of her neck. 

Nothing else was talked of yesterday at Court and else- 
where but the resignation of four members of the Ministry, 
which deprives it of much of its moral force. This is par- 
ticularly so in the case of Mr. Stanley because of his great 
talents, and in the case of the Duke of Richmond because of 
his great position. The Conservatives are much pleased, 
their ranks being increased and those of their adversaries, if 
not numerically diminished, at least very ill-filled. Lord 
Mulgrave, Lord Ebrington, Mr. Abercromby, and Mr. 
Spring Rice are spoken of for the Cabinet, but nothing is 
settled yet. 

At the big Diplomatic dinner for the birthday, which 
took place at the house of the Foreign Secretary, Lord 
Palmerston had for the first time invited ladies, and sat 
between the Princesse de Lieven and myself. He was chilly 
on the right and breezy on the left, and obviously ill at 
ease, though his embarrassment was not at all increased by 
the fact that he was not in his drawing-room ready to receive 
the ladies as they arrived, but came in afterwards without 
making the slightest excuse. 

M. Dupin is being very well treated here by all that is 
brilliant and exalted in society, and likes it so much that he 
is quite out of conceit with Paris. He considers that the 
Coiirt at the Tuileries is wanting in dignity, that the women 
are not well enough dressed there, that the company is too 
much mixed, and that King Louis Philippe is not Royal 
enough ! What with dinners and drawing-rooms, receptions 



68 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

at Court, routs, concerts, the Opera, races, &c., M. Dupin is 
launched on a course of dissipation which will make a 
grotesque dandy of him ; and the result, if I am not mis- 
taken, will astonish Paris. 

Madame de Lieven is fond of talking about the late King 
George IV. She tells me that he hated common people so 
much that he never showed the least civility to M. Decazes, 
whom he saw only on one occasion — when he presented his 
credentials. As to Madame Decazes, as he held no drawing- 
room while she was in London, he avoided receiving her at 
all, and he could not be persuaded to grant her a private 
audience or to ask her to Carlton House. He behaved with 
almost equal incivility to the Princesse de Polignac, the 
obscurity of whose English origin was an offence to him. 
As to Madame Falk, the reason why she never saw the late 
King is even more curious. Madame Falk's exuberant 
Flemish charms are so well developed that they alarmed 
Lady Conyngham as being likely to be too much to the 
King's liking, and she always succeeded in preventing her 
from being received. 

M. Dupin was so much struck by the magnificent apparel 
of the ladies of the English Court that he made a remark to 
me on the subject, which is really amusing. " The Queen 
of the French should lay down a rule about Court dress ; 
this would impose on the bourgeois vanity, which in our 
country is always wishing to show itself at Court, the tax of 
an expensive dress." 

London^ May 30, 1834. — The Portuguese ratifications of 
the treaty of Quadruple Alliance have come in at last. 
They are however inexact and incomplete. The whole 
preamble of the Treaty is passed over in silence. It is 
difficult to believe that this is not due rather to malignity 
than inadvertence. The Attorney General was summoned 
to the Foreign Office to discover some device which would 
make the exchange possible. Nothing could be found to which 
there was not some objection, but Lord Palmerston was 
inclined to carry out the exchange leaving the preamble on 
one side. This would deprive the Treaty of its moral force 



CABINET QUESTIONS 69 

— perhaps the only kind of force which it possesses. The 
decision on this point will not be reached until this morning. 

I have often heard it said that there is no one more 
astute than a madman ; something I have just heard makes 
me think that this is true. Replying to the congratulations 
of the Bishops on the occasion of his birthday, the King 
assured them with tears in his eyes that as he felt himself an 
old man and near the time when he must render up his 
soul to God, he did not wish to charge his soul with the 
guilt of wronging the Church and would support with 
all his strength the rights and privileges of the Anglican 
Clergy. This remark was made the very day that His Majesty 
pressed Lord Grey to remain and to allow Mr. Stanley to resign. 

Last night the rearrangement of the Ministry was not 
completed. What seems to me certain is that no one wants 
Lord Durham. They say he is in an indescribable state of 
fury. Lady Durham, whom he has treated with great 
cruelty as he does every time he is angry with Lord Grey, 
fainted yesterday while dining with- her mother, and her 
husband did not even turn his head to look at her. 

The Marquis of Lansdowne who has quite lately spoken 
in Parliament in favour of the Church, may very well also 
retire from the Cabinet. It depends on what happens next 
Monday in the House of Commons. When she heard this. 
Lady Holland went in all haste to Lord Brougham's to tell 
him that she should consider Lord Lansdowne's resignation 
a great misfortune which should be avoided at all costs. 
The Chancellor who has no liking for Lord Lansdowne's 
moderation replied that for his part he thought it would be 
a very good thing and that he would do all he could to 
bring it about. Thereupon Lady Holland got angry and 
enumerating the merits of her friend asked Lord Brougham 
if he had considered all that Lord Lansdowne represented. 
" Oh yes,"" was the answer, " I know that he represents all 
the old women in England." 

London, May 31, 1834. — The English Ministry is re- 
arranged, but none of its characteristics are any more distinct 
than they were before, 



70 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

By means of declarations and reservations it has been 
found possible to proceed with the exchange of ratifications 
with Portugal. 

I think that this week's work is a poor performance 
indeed and that its results in the future will be no better. 

London, June 1, 1834. — Yesterday I met the Ministers 
who were leaving office and those who were coming in. The 
former seemed to me happier than the latter and I think 
they had reason^ 

Lady Cowper in spite of her subtle and delicate wit is 
both nonchalant and naive. This makes her say things 
which are startling in their excessive frankness. Thus she said 
to Madame de Lieven yesterday morning, " I assure you that 
Lord Palmerston regards you as an old and pleasant 
acquaintance whom he is very sorry to lose, that he is quite 
aware of all your husband''s excellent qualities, and that he 
knows that Russia could not be more worthily represented 
than by him. But you see that that is the very reason why 
England must profit by your departure." Madame de 
Lieven was no less struck by the sincerity of the avowal than 
annoyed by its implication. 

Lady Cowper rather thoughtlessly also showed her a letter 
from Madame de Flahaut in which, after expressing some polite 
regret at the recall of M. de Lieven, she lamented the choice 
which had been made of a charge d'affaires. He was, she said, 
a venomous and wicked little wasp, fiercely Russian in senti- 
ment, a savage enemy of Poland, and to sum all up in one 
word a cousin german of Madame de Dino, which she added 
is very much against the interest of England whose one 
object must be to keep Russia and France apart. 

For the rest it is said that Pozzo is delighted that my 
cousin Medem is leaving Paris. He has always praised him 
and treated him well, but perhaps Paul's direct and intimate 
relations with M. de Nesselrode had begun to embarrass 
Pozzo. I don't believe it however. 

Yesterday, while dining with Lord Holland, M. Dupin 
showed rather too much of the legislator. Poor Lord 
Melbourne, especially, who was half absent and half asleep, 



LORD BROUGHAM 71 

was bored with a long dissertation on divorce which was all 
the more out of place as his wife, who had for long been a 
source of great trouble to him, has just died insane and 
under restraint. Lord Holland, who makes friends easily 
with all those whom he does not wish to hang for their 
political opinions, told me that he disliked M. Dupin very 
much, and that he had all the bad points of Lord Brougham 
with none of his extraordinary ability and versatility. 

A propos of the Chancellor I hear bad accounts of his 
character. For instance it was Lord Holland who forced 
the Duke of Bedford's hand and so got him into Parliament. 
For four years thereafter Lord Brougham never set foot in 
Lord Holland's house. When he did call he did so for no 
apparent reason, without embarrassment and without excuses. 
The Chancellor's leading gift is his ready memory and 
presence of mind which enable him to have at hand at a 
moment's notice all the fac-ts and arguments relevant to the 
subject of his speech. Thus Mr. Allen says of him that he 
has always a legion of devils of all colours ready to obey 
him, and that of these he is himself the chief. Lord 
Holland says that no scruple can stop him. Lady Sefton 
told me in confidence the other day that as a friend he was 
neither sincere nor faithful. Lady Grey says outright 
that he is a monster and it is in this way that every one 
talks who is intimate with him or belongs to the same party. 

Hylcmds^ June 2, 1834. — The Republicans are annoyed 
with M. de la Fayette for choosing as his burying-place 
the aristocratic cemetery of Picpus. They are also angry 
because there were so many priests at the mortuary chapel 
to receive the body. A hogshead of earth from the United 
States was placed in the grave. A propos of M. de Lafayette, 
I have several times heard M. de 1 alleyrand tell how he 
went to his house with the Marquis de Castellane, another 
member of the Constituant Assembly, early on October 7, 
1789, to propose some arrangements for the safety of 
Louis XVI., who had been taken to the Tuileries the night 
before. They found Lafayette, after the terrible two days 
which had passed, calmly having his hair done ! 



72 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Here at Hylands we are with M. Labouchere, an old and 
kind friend. The place is very cheerful, and distinguished 
for its wonderful flowers and vegetables. M. Labouchere, 
who is a cosmopolitan sort of person, has collected about 
him many souvenirs of travel, but Holland is the most 
conspicuous ; and he takes most pains with his flower-beds, 
on which he spends a great deal of money. 

Hylands, June 8, 1834. — A note from Lord Sefton, 
written yesterday from the House of Lords before the end 
of the sitting, the result of which we do not yet know, 
informs me that the Commission of Inquiry on the Church 
of Ireland, which Lord Althorp has proposed, will not 
satisfy the demands of Mr. Ward and his party. Mr. Stanley 
and Sir James Graham scoff at the Commission, and intend 
to move the previous question. Sir Robert Peel holds back ; 
Lord Grey is very low, and the King is quite ready either 
to support him or to send for another Minister. Pressed 
by the difficulties of the situation, he has neither principles 
nor affections, and in this he shares what I believe to be the 
position common to all Kings. 

London, June 4, 1834. — It seems that Dom Miguel is 
hors de combat, and is on the point of giving in and 
quitting the Peninsula. I gather that the signatories of 
the Quadruple Alliance attribute his submission to the news 
of the signing of their treaty. If this be so, the moral 
effect is all the more satisfactory, as the material result 
would probably not have been great. 

In the English Parliament Mr. Ward declined to be 
satisfied with the Commission of Inquiry. Lord Althorp 
moved the previous question, supported by Mr. Stanley — 
who made an admirable speech on the inviolability of 
Church property — and by all the Tories, The previous 
question was adopted by a large majority. It cannot be 
pleasant for the Ministry that this vote is due only to their 
enemies, for whom it is a triumph, and to the four Ministers 
who have resigned. The real opinion of the Cabinet, the 
different combinations which have divided it and ruled its 
actions — all this is so confused and complicated that it is 



LORD GREY'S DIFFICULTIES 73 

difficult to understand what really is the idea which governs 
its jerky and inconsequent mode of progression. 

In the Commons Lord Palmerston has denounced the 
principle upheld by Lord Lansdowne in the Upper House, 
where every one was surprised to see a known Socinian ^ like 
him speak in favour of the clergy. In this matter all 
is contradictory. Lord Grey has wavered hesitatingly 
among all the combatants, not exalting one party, not 
urging on the others. He is shouldered, jostled, and 
pushed about by everybody, and he emerges in a battered 
condition from the melee. If in his friends' eyes he is still 
a decent, honest sort of person, in the eyes of the public he 
is now only a feeble old man — an exhausted Minister. 

Lady Holland usually does everything that other people 
avoid. She went to a window in Downing Street to observe 
the Members of Parliament who went to Lord Althorp's 
meeting two days ago in order that she might speculate 
with more accuracy about each. Her speculations are rarely 
charitable. She thinks that she palliates her inconceivable 
egotism by flaunting it without shame ; she exploits other 
people without mercy for her own benefit, and treats them 
well or ill according to calculations more or less personal. 
She never allows any one else's convenience to stand in 
her way. The most one can do is to credit her with a few 
good qualities, and even these are based on some interested 
motive. When her caprices and her exigence has worn out 
the patience of her friends, she tries to regain their favour 
by the most abject condescension. She abuses the false 
position she holds in society — with which well-bred people 
are careful not to reproach her — in order to conquer and 
oppress them. The position she has is, it must be admitted, 
the best proof of her ability. In her time she has done the 
most unheard-of things, and she has been forgiven every- 
thing. For instance, she gave out that her eldest daughter 
was dead in order not to be forced to surrender her to her 
first husband, and when she had ceased to care for this child 

1 A follower of Socinus, who disbelieved in the Trinity and in the Divinity 
of Christ, 



74 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

she brought her back to life again, and to prove that she 
was not buried she had the grave opened, and the skeleton 
of a goat was found in the coffin. This is going a little too 
far ! However, she is a social despot in her own numerous 
circle. The reason of this is, perhaps, that she does not try 
to force herself on any one, and that she may be said rather 
to rise superior to prejudice than to struggle against it. 
M. de Talleyrand keeps her very well in hand, and is 
becoming the avenger of all her acquaintance. Every one 
is delighted when Lady Holland is a little mishandled, and 
no one comes to her assistance. Lord Holland and Mr. Allen 
as little as any one. 

Lady Aldborough came one day to Lady Lyndhurst and 
asked her to be so kind as to find out from her husband, 
who was then Chancellor, what steps she should take in an 
important case. Lady Lyndhurst refused, in the rude and 
vulgar manner which is characteristic of her, to undertake to 
obtain the required information, adding that she never inter- 
fered in such tedious matters. " Very true, my Lady," 
answered Lady Aldborough, " I quite forgot that you are 
not in the civil line." Lady Aldborough is witty, and what 
she says is brilliant, even when she speaks French. She is 
often a trifle too bold and free-spoken. Thus, when she 
heard how the Princesse de Leon had been burned to death, 
and when some one said that the Prince had been more 
of a brother to his wife than a husband. Lady Aldborough 
exclaimed, " What ! Virgin as well as Martyr ! Ah ! that 
is too much." 

The condition of the English Cabinet is very curious. 
Sir Robert Peel said in the House that he couldn"'t under- 
stand it at all ; and this being so, every one else's ignorance 
may well be excused. What is clear to everybody is that if 
no member of the Cabinet is absolutely destroyed they are 
all wounded, some say mortally. That they are enervated 
is evident. I am sorry for it for Lord Grey's sake, for I am 
really attached to him ; in the rest I have not the slightest 
interest. Lord Palmerston will not restore their credit. 
M. de Talleyrand may say what he likes. He may have a 



PALMERSTON'S METHODS 75 

gift for the despatch of business ; he may speak and write 
French well ; but he is a rude and presumptuous person, his 
behaviour is arrogant, and his character not upright. Each 
day some new and more or less clear proof of his duplicity 
comes to light. For instance, how is it that, while 
Lord Grey is arguing loudly against King Leopold''s plan 
for choosing himself a successor, and while Lord Palmerston 
seems to be of the same mind, the latter is writing privately 
to Lord Granville in support of the King's idea ? This 
constantly embarrasses the Ambassadors in their relations 
with him, and above all puts M. de Talleyrand in a very 
painful position. 

London, June 5, 1834. — The Due d'Orleans writes to me, 
without any prompting on my part and without any obvious 
motive, a letter of which the point seems to lie in the 
following phrase, which appears to be intended to show that 
he does not approve of the conduct of his father"'s ministers : 
*' I consider there is already a reassuring sign in this dis- 
position to limit party quarrels to an electoral college and 
to wage war by manifesto alone. May this tendency in time 
eliminate the system of brute force, which I regret to see 
nowadays in all parties, and which is the favourite argument 
not only of the opposition but also of those in power ! "" I 
think there is good sense and good feeling in this reflection. 

If the Due d'Orleans had good counsellors I should have 
confidence in his future. He is intelligent, brave, graceful, 
well-educated, and energetic. These are excellent gifts in a 
Prince, and, matured by age, they might make him a good 
king. But those about him, both men and women, are so 
commonplace and small-minded ! Since the death of 
Madame de Vaudemont there is no one of any distinction or 
nobility of mind or character. 

Lady Granville has given a ball in Paris in honour of the 
birthday of the King of England. She had the gallery 
filled with orange-trees, and the company waltzed round 
them. Lamps were placed behind the flowers, so that there 
was very little light in the room. Nothing could be more 
favourable to private conversation. Eight thieves dressed 



76 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

to perfection came in through the garden, but such a large 
number of unknown men attracted attention, and notice 
was taken of it too soon. They saw that they had been 
observed, and made good their escape. Their intention 
seems to have been to snatch the women's diamonds 
when they had gone into the garden, which was to be 
illuminated. 

London, June 6, 1834. — The English Cabinet, so feebly 
reorganised, does not hold its head very high; all the 
honours are with the seceding Ministers. Lord Grey is 
under no illusions, and is by no means proud of the great 
majority of last Monday ; for, as one of his friends said to 
me : " This majority is not the result of affection for 
Ministers ; it is due merely to fear that the Tories will 
come in and dissolve Parliament." Nothing, I think, can 
be truer. For the rest, the Cabinet already feels the need 
of strengthening. They say that Lord Radnor, a friend of 
the Chancellor's and a Radical big gun, will be made Lord 
Privy Seal. 

It seems certain that Dom Miguel and Don Carlos are 
really leaving the Peninsula, the one for England, the other 
for Holland. 

The Prince de la Moskowa having persisted in his desire 
to be presented, was presented yesterday, along with the 
Prince d'Eckmiihl. Their desire was so strong that they 
tried to get Mr. Ellice to present them in the absence of 
M. de Talleyrand, as if that were possible, apart from its 
being objectionable ! Really, young Frenchmen have no idea 
how to behave, and Mr. Ellice, whose gentility is of recent 
growth, had lent himself to this pretty scheme ! 

Lord Durham and Mr. Ellice are called here, comically 
enough, " the Bear " and " the Pasha." 

London, June 7, 1834. — Lucien Bonaparte has at last 
reappeared here, and is addressing the French electors from 
London. After his manifesto to the Deputies last year he 
disappeared for several months, and is said to have visited 
France secretly during the recent troubles at Lyons and 
Paris. His new letter is more turgid than ever, and even 



LORD GREY'S GHOST STORY 77 

more full of literary affectations than the first ; is in other 
ways a most abject production and in very bad taste. 

Lucien, whom I had never seen before his arrival in 
England, as he was in disgrace with the Emperor, was said 
to be at least as able as his brother, and to have more 
decision of character. I have heard it said that it was he 
who saved Napoleon on the 18th Brumaire, and, in fact, I 
had heard him greatly praised. My actual meeting with 
him, as often happens, did not come up to my expectations. 
He seemed to me cringing in his manners and false in his 
look. He is like Napoleon in the outward shape of his features 
— not at all in expression. I saw him last year, at a concert 
at the Duchesse de Canizzaro's, beg her to introduce him to 
the Duke of Wellington, who was present. I saw him cross 
the room, and come up bowing and scraping to be presented 
to the victor of Waterloo, whose reception was as cold as 
such baseness deserved. 

As I live in a London house ^ celebrated for the great 
robbery suffered by the old Marchioness of Devonshire, who 
is its owner, and for a ghost which appeared to Lord Grey 
and his daughter during their tenancy, I will relate here 
what Lord Grey and Lady Georgiana have often told me in 
the presence of witnesses — Lord Grey quite seriously and 
circumstantially. Lady Georgiana with repugnance and 
hesitation. It seems, then, that Lord Grey was crossing 
the dining-room on the ground floor, whose windows look 
into the square, to go to his own room. He had a light in 
his hand, and he saw behind one of the pillars by which the 
room is divided a pale face, which appeared to be that of an 
old man, though the eyes and hair were very black. Lord 
Grey at first started back, but on raising his eyes he again 
saw the same face staring at him fixedly, while the body 
seemed to be hidden behind the pillar. It disappeared as 
soon as he moved forward. He searched, but found nothing. 
There are two small doors behind the pillars and a large 
mirror between them, so there may well be some natural 
explanation of the apparition. Lord Grey, however, denies 
1 No. 21 Hanover Square, the French Embassy of the period. 



78 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

that it was either a burglar or the reflection of his own face 
in the glass. As a matter of fact, at that time his hair was 
fair and his eyes are blue. However that may be, he told 
his family next morning at breakfast what he had seen the 
night before when he was going to bed. Lady Grey and 
her daughter thereupon exchanged glances with a meaning 
look, and Lord Grey asked what they meant. They told 
him that they had concealed the thing from him till 
then for fear of being laughed at, but that one night 
Lady Georgiana had been awakened by feeling some one 
breathe on her face. She opened her eyes, and saw the face 
of a man bending over her. She shut them, thinking she 
was dreaming, but when she opened them again the face was 
still there. She screamed, and the face disappeared. She 
then jumped out of bed and rushed into the next room, 
locking the door behind her, and threw herself half dead 
with fright on the bed of her sister. Lady Elizabeth. 
Lady Elizabeth wanted to go and examine the haunted 
room, but Lady Georgiana would not allow her. Next day 
the windows, doors, and bolts were found in good order, and 
what she had seen was pronounced to be a ghost, though 
the fact that a flat piece of roof comes close up under one 
of the windows might suggest even to the credulous that 
some footman in love with one of the maids was the hero of 
this nocturnal adventure. 

Nevertheless, the house has a very bad reputation. I 
sleep in the room from which Lady Devonshire's diamonds 
were stolen, and my daughter in that in which Lady 
Georgiana's ghost appeared. When we came to the house there 
were actually people who thought us astonishingly brave ! 
At first the servants were afraid to go about the house at 
night except in couples. To be quite frank, the conviction 
with which Lord Grey and his daughter described their 
experiences made me also a little uncomfortable — a feeling 
which did not wear off for some time. 

We have been here nearly three years, and nothing has been 
stolen and there has been no apparition. Yet once, when we 
Mere away in France, and when the door of my room was 



MADAME DE LIEVEN'S PLANS 79 

locked, the housemaid, the porter, and the maids swore that 
they heard a violent ringing of a bell, the cord of which is at 
the foot of my bed. They said that they went to the room 
and found the door locked as it should have been, and when 
they opened it they could find no explanation of the noise. 
They tried to make me believe that the bell rang on 
July 27, 1832, at the very time of my accident at Baden- 
Baden. A mouse was probably the real cause of this 
incident. 

It is said that Lord Grey's father had a similar and very 
curious experience ; and that Lord Grey himself, besides the 
Hanover Square ghost, saw one at Howick, which was 
even more remarkable, but of which he does not care to 
speak. Of course, this being so, I have not asked any 
questions about it, but several versions of what happened 
are in circulation, and the thing has lent itself to caricature. 

London, June 8, 1834. — Lord Radnor's extravagant pre- 
tensions have put an end to the idea of admitting him 
to the Ministry. They are now said to be thinking of 
Lord Dacre, whose appointment would, it is believed, be 
satisfactory to the Dissenters. The Privy Seal, which is held 
provisionally by Lord Carlisle, is destined for the newcomer. 

When I called yesterday on Madame de Lieven she had just 
received letters from St. Petersburg which have at last made 
clear what her new position in Russia is to be. It seems to 
me to promise well. Instead of being a puppet at Court 
and groaning under the burden of perpetual ceremonial, the 
Princess is to have a house of her own. The Emperor 
wishes that his son shall learn there to know society and 
how to converse and conduct himself in the world. 

This plan is set forth with infinite tact and kindness in a 
letter from the Empress, which is very happily expressed, 
perfectly natural, and full of cleverness and affection. Of 
course it has become a great interest and a great consolation 
to Madame de Lieven. She sees herself possessed of a direct 
influence on affairs, and in a position as independent as is 
possible in Russia. Her imagination is busy developing and 
improving this new sphere for her energies, and I must say 



80 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

in justice to her that her projects have not a trace of 
childishness or small-mindedness. She knows exactly what 
she wants to do, and the lines of her scheme are broad 
and well thought out. The pleasure she derives from the im- 
portance of her prospective position was evident, but anything 
else would have been hypocritical, and I was pleased that she 
did not think it necessary to pretend to sentiments she did not 
feel before me. Her great desire is to render the young 
Grand Duke the immense service of accustoming him to 
great and exalted company, to make her house sufficiently 
distinguished and sufficiently agreeable to accustom every 
one, including the Emperor and Empress, to enjoy there 
the pleasures of conversation rather than amusements for 
which they are perhaps growing too old. Her ambition 
is to restore to the Russian Court the splendour and the 
intellectual culture which were its glory under the Great 
Catherine. She hopes in this way to attract foreigners by 
exciting their curiosity and providing it with a worthy object. 
All this fully occupies the Princess, who has it in her to 
play this part well, though it would be difficult anywhere, 
and is doubly so in Russia, "svhere thought is as much 
fettered as speech. 

There was a reasonableness and a delicacy in the letters 
both of the Empress and M. de Nesselrode which accords 
with all I hear of the Czar Nicolas and which augurs well for 
the result of this second education of the heir to the throne 
of ice. I was particularly glad to see that the frankness 
with which Madame de Lieven had expressed her regret at 
leaving England had been well received. She said to me 
a propos of this, " It proves to me that one can be sincere 
in our country without breaking one''s neck." I hope that 
she may find more and more reason to think so, but it will 
be necessary to keep this sincerity in cotton wool for some 
time to come. 

She spoke to me with great admiration of the Emperor as 
a man with great gifts who is destined to become the greatest 
figure in contemporary history. On this I repeated to her a 
remark made by M. de Talleyrand with which she was 



A PARTING PRESENT 81 

much pleased. This is what he said : " The only Cabinet 
which has not made a single mistake during the last four 
years is the Russian Cabinet, and do you know why that is 
so ? The Russian Cabinet is never in a hurry."" 

ITie Queen of England has shewn Madame de Lieven on the 
occasion of her recall much of the kindness which is natural 
to her, though it must be difficult for her Majesty to forget 
how little respect the Princess showed her during the life of 
George IV. and that of the Duke of York, and above all how 
discourteous the patronesses of Almack's with Madame de 
Lieven at their head were to her on the only occasion she was 
there when she was still Duchess of Clarence. I have even on 
one occasion heard the Queen remind Madame de Lieven of this 
incident in such a way as greatly to embarrass her. However 
all these old quarrels are forgotten, and when the leave-taking 
came the Queen's conduct was perfect. As to the King it is 
different ; he has never even said either to M. or Madame 
de Lieven that he was aware that they had been recalled. 
They blame Lord Palmerston and I don't think they are 
far wrong. 

London, June 9, 1834. — Yesterday I found the Duchess- 
Countess of Sutherland very busy getting together twenty 
ladies to join in offering Madame de Lieven some tangible 
token of the regret felt at her departure by the ladies of her 
particular acquaintance. This idea is particularly English, 
for the spirit of association is everywhere in this country 
and enters even into matters of compliment and civility. I 
thought that the Princess could not but be pleased and 
flattered, and I was delighted to add my name to the list. 
Ten guineas is the subscription and I believe the testimonial 
will take the shape of a fine bracelet inside which our names 
will, if possible, be inscribed. 

M. de Montrond has returned from Paris. His wit is as 
ready and as cutting as ever, and, though he is certainly 
anything but a bore, I again feel with him the uneasiness 
which one has in the presence of a venomous creature with 
a poisonous sting. The charm which used for a long time 
to fascinate M. de Talleyrand is gone and has left behind 



82 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

a sense of fatigue and oppression which is the more felt 
as their long standing friendship and the remembrance of 
their past intimacy hardly permit tHem to make an end 
of it. 

I don't think there is anything new in what M. de 
Montrond tells me of Paris. He speaks of the King's 
ability ; no one contests it. It is equally well known that 
the King is always talking, and always of himself. M. de 
Montrond complains of the complete destruction of Parisian 
Society, of the spirit of division which is breaking up every- 
thing and which does not decrease. He gives amusing 
accounts of the embarrassments of the Thiers family, of the 
high diplomatic ambitions of Marshal Soult for his son, of 
the alarm of Rigny and others at the kind of eifect produced 
here by M. Dupin. They think that it is ominous of a 
future premiership and are almost angry with M. de Talley- 
rand for showing him attention. They do not see that 
M. Dupin's reception here is only a compliment to us, he 
being a man who is less fitted than any one in the world to 
shine in good English society, and that our object is merely 
to turn the turgid stream of M. Dupin's eloquence in 
favour of the English alliance of which he is a bitter 
opponent. 

I found Lord Grey yesterday in a state of depression 
which he did not attempt to disguise. It is a contagious 
malady, and seems to have attacked all his adherents. Lord 
Grey's lassitude and weariness is to my thinking the most 
alarming symptom of the weakness of the Cabinet as now 
constituted. Lord Durham's attacks on Lord Grey in the 
Times wound him deeply. Conservatives and Radicals are 
alike speculating on the succession of the Whigs, and it is 
impossible to disguise the fact that this is a critical moment 
for every one. 

While talking yesterday to a friend I remembered that 
when I was seventeen, I, like many other women of the period 
in Paris, was romantic or silly enough to consult Mile. 
Lenormand who was then much in vogue, taking what I 
thought sufficient precautions not to be recognised by her. 



A SORCERESS'S PREDICTIONS 83 

One had to fix the day and the hour beforehand and this I 
arranged through my maid giving a false name and address. 
She gave me an appointment and on the day named I 
went with my maid in a cab, taken at a distance from my 
abode, to the Rue de Tournon where the sorceress lived. 
The house was of good appearance and the rooms clean and 
even rather pretty. We had to wait till a gentleman with 
moustaches had left the chamber where the Sibyl delivered 
her oracles. I made my maid go in first and my turn came 
next. After some questions about the month, day and hour 
of my birth, and about my favourite animal, flower and 
colour, and about the animals, flowers and colours which I 
particularly disliked, she asked whether she should make the 
great or the little cabala for me, the price being different. 
At last she came to my fortune and told me what follows. 
I may have forgotten some insignificant details but I give 
the main part of what she predicted, and I have since 
repeated it to several persons, my mother and M. de Talley- 
rand among the number. 

She said that I was married, that I had a spiritual bond 
with an exalted personage (my explanation of this is that 
the Emperor was my eldest son's godfather), that after much 
pain and trouble I should be separated from my husband, 
that my troubles would not cease till nine years after this 
separation, and that during these nine years I should 
experience all manner of trials and calamities. She also said 
that I should become a widow when no longer young but 
not too old to marry again which I should do. She saw me 
for many years closely allied with a person whose position 
and influence would impose on me a kind of political position 
and would make me powerful enough to save some one from 
imprisonment and death. She said also that I should live 
through very difficult and stormy times, during which I 
should have very exciting experiences, and that one day even 
I should be awakened at five o'clock in the morning by men 
armed with pikes and axes who would surround my house 
and try to kill me. This danger would be the consequence 
of my opinions and the part I was destined to take in 



84 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

politics and I should escape in disguise. I should still be 
alive, she said, at sixty-three. When I asked whether that 
was the destined end of my days she answered, " I don't say 
you will die at sixty-three, I only mean that I see you still 
alive at that age. I know nothing of you or your destiny 
after that." 

The leading circumstances of this prediction seemed to me 
then too much out of the probable course of events to cause 
me any anxiety. I told my friends about it as a sort of 
joke, and, though the most improbable parts of it have come 
true, such as my separation from my husband, my prolonged 
troubles, the interest in public affairs which M. de Talley- 
rand's concern with them has imposed on me, I confess that 
unless some one has mentioned some similar matter, I think 
very rarely about what Mile. Lenormand told me, and very 
little of herself though she was a remarkable person. She 
seemed to be over fifty when I saw her. She was rather tall 
and wore a loose, black, trailing gown. Her complexion 
was ugly and confused, her eyes were small, bright and 
wild ; her countenance, coarse and yet uncanny, was crowned 
with a mass of untidy grey hair. The whole effect was 
unpleasant, and I was glad when the interview was over. 

I thought of her prophecies in July 1830, when I was 
alone at Rochecotte surrounded by conflagrations, and was 
receiving the news of what was happening in Paris, and 
when I saw General Donnadieu's regiments marching past 
my windows on La Vendee where it was thought Charles X. 
would go. I heard some denouncing the Jesuits whom they 
were silly enough to accuse of setting fire to their houses 
and fields, and others crying out against " malignants " such 
as I. The Cure came to my house for refuge and the 
Mayor asked whether I did not think that the soutane, 
which according to him reeked of brimstone, should be 
turned out of the commune. Already I saw myself sur- 
rounded by pikes and axes, and escaping as best I could 
disguised as a peasant. I escaped then, but I have sometimes 
said to myself that it was only a postponement and that I 
should not get off in the end. 



A TEDIOUS PARTY 85 

London, Jxme 10, 1834. — Lord Dacre, who was to have 
joined the Ministry, has had a fit and fallen from his horse 
which puts him out of the question. They are now 
thinking of Mr. Abercromby for the Mint with a seat in 
the Cabinet. 

Yesterday we had at dinner M. Dupin, the young Ney 
and Davoust, M. Bignon and General Munier de la 
Converserie. If to speak ill of every one is to praise one's 
. self M. Dupin did it to perfection. He treated with the 
utmost scorn the King and his Ministers and every man and 
woman in Paris. Some are mean, dowdy chatterboxes, others 
are robbers, smugglers, I know not what. Immorality was 
castigated and justice brandished her flaming sword. M. 
Piron, the cicerone and the very humble servant of M. 
Dupin, multiplied his formulae of adulation. What he 
chiefly praised was the lucid and detailed manner in which 
the great man had explained to the English Ministers the 
embarrassment and danger of their position. I think they 
would have been equally obliged if he had not crossed the 
sea to tell them what they know only too well already. 

After dinner I had to endure the honeyed insincerity of M 
Bignon. He reminded me of VitroUes"' cloying and inferior 
manner, he is rather like him in face, distinctly like him in 
his talk and above all in his bearing. I think however, 
that M. de VitroUes"' conversation is more vivacious, and his 
imagination more brilliant. As yesterday was the first time 
I have spoken to M. Bignon it would be vn-ong to judge 
him on one conversation, but one cannot fail to be struck 
with his calm and submissive manner which at once puts one 
on one's guard. 

London, June 1\, 1834. — Mr. Abercromby's appointment 
was in last night's Globe. We shall see if this will mollify 
the tone of the Times which ill-treated poor Lord Grey 
shamefully yesterday morning. 

Among the many sayings of M. de TallejTand here is 
one which is very good and not much known. M. de 
Montrond was saying to him last year that Thiers was a 
good sort of man and not so impertinent as you would 



86 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

expect from a parvenu. " I will tell you the reason," replied 
M. de Talleyrand : " c"'est que Thiers n'est pas parvemi, il 
est arrive.'''' I fear that this remark is too subtle to be 
altogether true, but that is the fault of M. Thiers. 
Impertinence is becoming a familiar method with him. 
Since his marriage he has been living in a kind of solidarity 
with the smallest sort of people, ill reputed pretentions, 
parverms assuredly and not arrives. It is impossible, in 
spite of the floods of wit with which he deluges the mud 
which surrounds him, that he should not be bespattered if 
not smothered. It is really a great pity. 

London, June 12, 1834. — At Holland House yesterday 
I heard a story of how the Abbe Morellet complained to 
the Marquis of Lansdowne that at the Revolution he lost 
his pensions and his benefices though he had written and 
spoken so much on the Revolutionary side, and of how 
the Marquis answered : " My dear sir, how can you be 
surprised, there are always a few wounded in the victorious 
armies." 

London, June 13, 1834. — There is a rumour that Dom 
Miguel has escaped and that a conspiracy has broken out at 
Lisbon against Dom Pedro ; all kinds of sinister details are 
added. This, it seems, is nothing but a Stock Exchange 
trick, the truth being that there were some unpleasant 
demonstrations against Dom Pedro when he showed himself 
at the play. The simultaneous expulsion of both the rivals 
would be the most satisfactory conclusion of the great drama. 

There is some siu-prise that Dom Miguel has not yet 
disembarked in England. Don Carlos arrived yesterday at 
Portsmouth in the Donegal. 

Spain is annoyed, and with reason, because the Duke of 
Terceira and the English Commissioner who made Dom 
Miguel sign an undertaking not to return did not exact a 
similar promise from Don Carlos. They now wish England 
and France to take measures against Don Carlos so as to 
make him an outlaw in Europe. This however is not 
admissible, in spite of the notes of the Marquis de Miraflores 
and the diatribes of Lord Holland. 



OXFORD AND THE DUKE 87 

The conversation at Holland House is very curious. 
Little Charles Barrington was there the other day and said 
he had been prevented from riding a donkey because it was 
Sunday and because religious people didn't ride donkeys on 
Sunday. Mr. Allen grunted in reply, " Never mind : the 
religion is only for the donkeys themselves." 

Mr. Spring Rice has just been elected at Cambridge, but 
by a small majority, which is by no means pleasant for the 
Ministry. 

Sir Henry Halford, M. Dedel and the Princesse de Lieven 
came back from Oxford yesterday, moved, enchanted, in- 
toxicated by the festivities on the occasion of the installation 
of the Duke of Wellington as Chancellor of the University. 
This occasion is really in its way unique. The Duke's 
character and his past career — it is only four years since he 
would have been stoned at Oxford for having passed Catholic 
emancipation — the magnificence of the ceremony, the number 
and the quality of the company, the immemorial traditions 
of the scene, the excitement of everybody, the unanimous 
applause — everything in fact was wonderful and the like 
will never be seen again. Even the Duke of Cumberland, 
universally unpopular as he is, was well received there. 
The Anglican spirit was in the ascendant, all personal 
animosities vanished in the presence of the dangers with 
which the Church is threatened, and this secured a 
favourable reception for every one who is believed to be 
ready to rally to her defence. In the Duke of Wellington 
it was less the great Captain whom they were cheering than 
the Defender of the Faith. 

It is annoying to record that the undergraduates used the 
licence granted to them on such occasions to hoot the names 
of Lord Grey and others, which they called out loudly in 
order to have the pleasure of hissing them. The Duke of 
Wellington, on every occasion of their occurrence, showed 
that these demonstrations displeased him, but in spite of 
these signs of his disapproval they were several times 
repeated. 

They say that when the Duke shook hands with Lord 



88 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Winchelsea, on whom he had just conferred the Doctor's 
degree, every one recollected the duel which had once taken 
place between the two, and that this gave rise to a storm 
of cheering. The applause, however, was not less when 
Lord Fitzroy Somerset approached the Duke, his faithful 
friend and comrade, and being unable to give him his 
right hand, which he lost at Waterloo, extended his left. 
But what excited the greatest and most prolonged enthusiasm 
was an ode addressed to the Duke, the two final lines of 
which were as follows : 

Till the dark soul a world could not subdue 
Bowed to thy genius, chief of Waterloo. 

At this point the whole audience rose spontaneously ; the 
cries, the tears, the acclamations were thrilling ; and, as 
Madame de Lieven said : " The Duke of Wellington may 
die to-day, and I may depart in peace to-morrow, for I have 
been present at the most marvellous scene that there has 
been during the twenty-two years that I have spent in 
England." 

London, June 14, 1834. — A German improvisatore 
named Langsward has been recommended to me by Madame 
de Dolomieu. I had to gather together in his honour all 
the people here (few enough) who know a little German. 
The entertainment was not bad. There w^ere houts rimes, 
which he filled up very creditably ; some verses about 
Inez de Castro ; and, later on, a prose piece — a scene of 
lower-class Viennese life — which showed real verve and 
talent. The talent for poetic improvisation almost always 
indicates faculties of an unusual order. This is the case 
even with Southern people, whose language is naturally very 
harmonious. Poetic inspiration is a proportionately greater 
achievement in the less flexible accents of Northern countries. 
Still improvisatori, even Sgricci, have always seemed to 
me more or less frigid or more or less absurd. Their 
enthusiasm is overdone and false ; the close rooms in which 
they are confined inspire neither the poet nor his audience. 
Nothing in them or their surroundings is in the key of 



A DRAWING-ROOM MINSTREL 89 

poetry. I think that if you are to produce an enthusiasm 
which will really gain every one you must have a landscape 
for your stage, the sun to light you, a rock for seat, a lyre 
for accompaniment, for your subject great and immediate 
events, and a whole nation for audience. Corinna if you 
like. Homer above all ! But a gentleman in a dress-coat in 
a little London drawing-room, postiuring before a few women 
who are trying to get away to a ball, and a few men, of 
whom half are thinking of the Belgian protocols and the 
other half of Ascot races, can never be more than a trifling 
little rhyming doll who is tedious and quite out of place. 

Madame de Lieven showed me yesterday a letter from M. 
de Nesselrode, in which he complains of the ill-will and the 
troublesome, teasing manner of Lord Ponsonby, who, he 
adds, is goading the poor Divan to fury. Admiral Roussin 
appears charming by comparison. 

Dom Miguel has really embarked, and is going to Genoa. 

London, June 15, 1834. — Dom Pedro is hardly relieved 
of his brother's presence and free of the supervision of 
the Cortes, and he has already begun to destroy convents, 
monks, and nuns. I do not know whether this, too, will 
excite admiration at Holland House, but to me it seems a 
piece of impious folly which may well bring speedy repent- 
ance in its train. 

The Rothschilds, who are by way of knowing everything, 
have been to M. de Talleyrand to say that the Marquis de 
Miraflores has just left for Portsmouth to take money 
to Don Carlos on condition of his signing guarantees 
similar to those given by Dom Miguel. 

M. Bignon, the day he dined at Lord Palmerston's, when 
M. de Talleyrand was there, said to the latter that he 
wished to have a word with him, and with a mysterious 
and confidential air, added : " Now that I have dined with 
Lord Palmerston they can no longer say at Paris that I 
can't be Minister." This curious piece of reasoning was 
followed by a series of indiscreet criticisms of the French 
Cabinet and expressions of surprise that overtures of the 
same kind had not been made to M. de Talleyrand by 



90 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

M. Dupin. Nothing assuredly can be more presumptuous 
than this spirit, whether it takes the supple and cringing 
form of M. Bignon or the didactic and crude shape of 
M. Dupin. 

London, June 16, 1834. — A propos of M. Dupin, when 
his mother died some time ago, at Clamecy en Nivernais, he 
had cut on her tomb, " Here lies the mother of the three 
Dupins.'''' 

There are some good stories here of him and the amiable 
Piron, his cicerone. Mr. Ellice one day took them both 
to see some sight or other in London. In the carriage 
M. Dupin unfolded a large-checked pocket handerchief, very 
vulgar in design, and holding it some distance from his face, 
spat into it, aiming very precisely at the middle of the 
handkerchief On this M. Piron said to him aloud, with a 
very knowing air, " Sir, in this country one does not spit in 
public."" 

The choice of Mr. Fergusson for a high legal appointment 
gives an even more Radical tinge to the English Cabinet. 
Lord Grey, almost without knowing it, has thus been 
dragged to the verge of an abyss, into which his weakness 
is thrusting him, but from which all his instincts and 
natural tendencies hold him back. Lord Brougham boasts 
that he has set everything right ; Lord Durham, on the 
contrary, says (no doubt in order to prepare the way for 
himself) that it is he alone who has persuaded all the new 
recruits to join. Meanwhile he has retired to his villa near 
London, whence he declares, " I have made Kings and refused 
to be one myself." 

The Marquis of Conyngham is, they say, to go to the 
Post Office and not to have a seat in the Cabinet. His 
selection is a social matter, with which politics, it appears, 
have very little to do. 

The Duke of Richmond has accepted an invitation to 
the High Tory dinner to be given on the 22nd to the 
Duke of Gloucester. The Duke of Wellington, who has 
sworn never to go to the City again after their shameful 
conduct to him in 1830, refused, and did not conceal the 



KINGS IN EXILE 91 

reason. And yet the Lord Mayor is not the same as in 
1830, and probably the Duke would now have a most 
flattering reception. However, he has taken an oath and 
will not break it. 

Mr. Backhouse, Under Secretary of State for Foreign 
Affairs, has been sent to Portsmouth to hold himself at the 
disposition of Don Carlos on every point except that of 
offering him money. This reserve seems to be the only 
way of assisting the negotiations which are being conducted 
by the Marquis de Miraflores, who is himself commissioned 
to offer the Infante, on behalf of his Government, an annual 
allowance of £20,000 sterling, on condition of his entering 
into obligations similar to those contracted by Dom Miguel. 
It is thought that the abject poverty to which the Prince 
himself, his wife and children, the Duchess of Beira, seven 
priests, and a suite of ladies (seventy-two persons in all), 
who are with him in the Donegal, are reduced, will smooth 
the course of the discussion. It is said that they have not 
so much as a change of linen. It is not known what Don 
Carlos's plans are. Some say that he wants to retire to 
Holland ; others say Vienna ; others again talk of Rome. 
This last idea seems to be peculiarly unpleasing to the 
present Government in Spain, but no one has the right to 
dictate a choice. 

M, de Palmella is expected here quite soon. He says he 
is coming on private business, but it is generally supposed 
that it is in order to concert measures for getting rid of 
Dom Pedro, whose absurd behaviour is displeasing every 
one. Then would be the time to choose a husband for 
Dona Maria da Gloria, and the opportunity, perhaps, of 
bringing out this young Princess who is still somewhat 
elephantine in her style. 

Lord Palmerston, with his usual courtesy, sent Mr. Back- 
house to Portsmouth without so much as mentioning the 
matter to M. de Talleyrand, who only heard of it by public 
rumour. This led to a candid little conversation between 
Lord Grey and me. No one, it must be admitted, is better, 
more frank, more sincere or better intentioned than the 



92 DUCHESSEDEDINO 

Prime Minister. I am always as much touched by his good 
qualities as a man as I am struck by his incompetence as a 
politician. He ran downstairs after me at his house to 
exculpate Lord Palmerston, to assure me that he had no 
ill-intention, and to beg me to make excuses for him to 
M. de Talleyrand. I replied to him with the old French 
proverb to the effect that hell is paved with good intentions, 
and added in English, " Well, I promise you to tell M. de 
Talleyrand that Lord Palmerston is as innocent as an 
unborn child, but I don't believe a word of it." This made 
Lord Grey laugh, and he took what I said in excellent part 
as he always does. 

London, June 17, 1834. — Don Carlos refused to see 
M. de Miraflores and would receive no one but Mr. Back- 
house, whom he gave to understand that he would not 
accept a penny if he had to sign away the smallest fragment 
of his rights. He commissioned M. Sampaio, formerly Dom 
Miguel's Consul in London, to find him a house at Ports- 
mouth, where he wants to rest for a fortnight, and thereafter 
one near London, where he will remain for some time. 

The British Government attributes Don Carlos's refusal 
to a credit of a million, which they are convinced has been 
opened on the Prince's behalf with M. Saraiva, Dom Miguel's 
former Minister here. They even say that the credit was 
opened for him by the Due de Blacas, which is very unlikely. 
The Bishop of Leon, who is said to be a bad man but clever 
after the fashion of a Spanish monk, is with the Infante, and 
is the leading spirit and the brain of this exiled Court. 

The Marquis of Conyngham, son of George IV.'s cele- 
brated favom-ite, has been definitely appointed to succeed 
his brother-in-laAv, the Duke of Richmond, as Postmaster- 
General. He is a young and good-looking man of fashion 
with many love affairs, who writes and receives more billet s- 
doux than serious letters, and is therefore called " the Post- 
master of the twopenny post." 

London, June 18, 1834. — At all meetings of ladies there is 
always much confusion and controversy, so, in spite of the 
presidency of the Duchess-Countess of Sutherland, there 



LADIES IN COUNCIL 93 

have been many discussions and hesitations over the bracelet 
which is to be presented to Madame de Lieven. Some ladies 
have retired from motives of economy, others because the 
affair was not put under their charge ; thirty remain. The 
choice of the jewels and the fashion of the setting have also 
given rise to difficulties. Opals are not to be thought of; 
the Princess dislikes them. Rubies are too expensive. 
Turquoises come from Russia ; to give them would be to send 
coals to Newcastle. The same applies to amethysts, and as 
to sapphires, the Princess already has magnificent sapphires 
of her own. " Emeralds perhaps."—" No."—" Yes."—" Well 

perhaps ." — "Why not?" — "It won't be what I 

expected." — " Peridots are so common." — " Lefs ask the 
Princess herself." This in the end is what we did; the 
mystery was revealed, the surprise abandoned, and a large 
pearl chosen. 

Then came another question, more literary and more 
delicate in character, the question of the dedicatory inscrip- 
tion. The committee wished it to be in English, so, as a 
foreigner, I retired. They kindly expressed regret, but of 
course I persisted and remained as a mere spectator. It 
was very amusing. Twenty ways of putting the inscription 
were tried. Poetry and allegory were suggested. Some 
wished for a play of words suggesting that a pearl had been 
chosen because the Princess was a pearl among women. 
Others thought that the image was not sufficiently precise ; 
they wanted some allusion to be made to the Princess's 
talent for affairs, a suggestion which was declared out of 
order. There was the further difficulty of putting on 
record the names of the donors without offending other 
ladies in society. So I was consulted. I said that I didn't 
know enough English to have an opinion. They asked 
what I should put if it were in French. I told them, and, 
weary of the struggle, they decided to translate it into 
English and adopt it. The wording is very simple : 
" Testimony of regard, regret and affection presented to 
the Princess Lieven on her departure, by some English 
ladies of her particular acquaintance, July 1834." 



94 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

London, June 19, 1834. — Madame de Lieven called on 
me yesterday morning. Her agitation grows as her depar- 
ture draws nearer, and carried away by a sort of feverish 
excitement which consumes her, she said to me that she was sure 
there was one person besides Lord Palmerston who was glad 
she was going, and that was the King of England. He had 
refused to write an autograph letter, which while saving the 
Minister's face, might have reversed the decision as to M. de 
Lieven's recall. Palmerston had lectured the King on the 
objections to foreign ambassadors staying too long in London, 
where they became too much at home, and even came to 
acquire a real and important influence. In short, the King 
is delighted at Madame de Lieven's departure, and she 
blames Palmerston for it, which does not increase her 
partiality for him. She may find some consolation in 
thinking of the abyss which is opening at his feet. The 
whole Ministry is as shaky as possible ; and Lord Palmerston 
is the least secure of them all. His colleagues think little 
of him. Lord Grey does not deny that his speeches in 
the House of Commons are bad. The Corps diplomatique 
detest his arrogance. English people think him ill-bred. 
His one merit, when all is said and done, seems to consist in 
his remarkable facility for speaking and writing French. 
The Lievens' departure, which every one, and most certainly 
Lord Grey regrets, is so generally attributed to Lord 
Palmerston's impudent obstinacy that no one even pretends 
to conceal his conviction that this is the case, not even Lord 
Palmerston's colleagues in the Ministry. Thus he is never 
invited to the numerous farewell dinners and parties which 
are being given to the Elevens, and this is the more remark- 
able, as of course Lady Cowper is always there. This has 
not failed to give him great offence, and he has especially 
resented Lord Grey's attitude. The latter has made a merit 
of this with Madame de Lieven, saying to her, on one 
occasion : " You see I have got all your friends and haven't 
asked Palmerston." Poor Lady Cowper gets the benefit of 
all Lord Palmerston's ill-humour, and they say he is very 
unkind to her. 



A JOVIAL MONARCH 95 

The Duke of Saxe-Meiningen has arrived by the King's 
invitation to escort the Queen, his sister, during her German 
tour. Her departure, is fixed, they say, for July 4, 
but the King is pressing her to go on the 2nd, and 
he is so strangely anxious to hurry her away, having made 
all the arrangements himself, that many people think that 
he will not be in such haste to let her come back. No one 
doubts that he expects to enjoy himself very much in his 
renewed bachelorhood, and every one trembles to think of 
the kind of enjoyment he may fancy. The nature of his 
pleasures, no less than the type of person he is likely to ask 
to share them, is a source of anxiety to decent people. 
There is no doubt that he has singular projects in his head, 
for the other day at dinner, he shouted out to an old admiral, 
who had been a great friend of his long ago, to ask " whether 
he was as great a rascal as ever.'' The admiral answered 
that the days of his follies were over ; but the King replied, 
" that for his part he meant to begin again ! " 

A letter from M. Royer-Collard is always an event for 
me : in the first place, because I am very fond of him ; and, 
secondly, because he says so much in so few words, in a 
striking way, and in a tone which is entirely individual, and 
gives much food for thought. Here is an extract from one 
which I have just got ; it is quite true and yet malicious in 
a well-bred way : " He [Thiers] is very clever ; what he 
wants is Society and the experience which Society alone can 
give, a little dignity and a little principle. As I write 
this it comes into my mind that you will take me for a 
doctrinaire, which would be very unjust, for principle is a 
weakness which doctrinaires don't cultivate." 

London, June 20, 1834. — Intercepted letters show that 
the Duke of Leuchtenburg, weary of the tumult caused by 
the design of the Duchess of Braganza's sister to marry him 
to Dona Maria, asked the Duchess to do no more in the 
matter, as too much suspicion had been aroused and success 
was impossible. At the same time he begged his sister not 
to forget their young brother Max, who has not been sus- 
pected, and who might have a better chance. Now that 



96 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

this new plan is revealed it will probably be as keenly 
opposed as the ex-Empress"'s first intrigue. They say she is 
extraordinarily energetic and ambitious, though to outward 
view she is all quietness, amiability, and simplicity. 

Last night, in our drawing-room, the conversation turned 
on the character and position of Mirabeau, and I heard M. 
de Talleyrand repeat a curious story. It appears that at 
the time of the Restoration he was entrusted during the 
Provisional Government with the most confidential of the 
Revolutionary archives, and that he found among them a 
receipt in due form, given by Mirabeau for a sum of money 
received from the Court. This receipt was made out in 
detail, and stated precisely the services which Mirabeau 
undertook to perform. M. de Talleyrand added that in spite 
of this financial transaction it would be unjust to say that 
Mirabeau was " bought," and that in accepting the price of 
promised services he did not surrender his independent 
opinion. He wished to serve France as much as to serve the 
King, and reserved for himself liberty of thought and action 
as well as liberty of choice of means to bring about the object 
which he engaged to realise. It follows that, without 
deserving the extreme imputations of baseness and vileness 
which some have made against him, Mirabeau's moral cha- 
racter was very far behind his astuteness. He belonged to 
a bad stock ; his father, his mother, his brother and sister 
were all either insane or criminal. Yet in spite of his 
execrable reputatation, of his being regarded everywhere 
much as a convict let out of prison, of his hideous ugliness and 
constant lack of money, what a marvellous influence his 
very memory has ! The book just published by his adopted 
son brings out very strikingly the power of his prodigious 
personality and the charm of his superabundant vitality, 
which imposes itself upon you in spite of the tedious formality 
with which the author has sought to adorn his subject. 
The authenticity of the sources, the abundance of quotations 
from the original, and their extraordinary interest, often 
make up for the awkwardness and heavy-handedness of the 
execution. 



MIRABEAU 97 

The book, moreover, has for me the great merit of 
enlightening my ignorance. I had only the vaguest ideas 
on the subject of Mirabeau, owing to my very imperfect 
knowledge of the Revolutionary period, which is too near 
my own time for me to have studied it historically, and 
which is yet too far oif for me to have known it as a 
contemporary. All I know is derived from M. de Talley- 
rand's stories and the Memoirs of Madame Roland. Besides, 
I have such a horror of this repulsive and terrible epoch 
that I have never had the courage to think much about it, 
and have almost always leapt hurriedly across the abyss 
which separates 1789 from the Empire. M. de Talleyrand's 
Memoirs might no doubt have helped me, but I have always 
been too much occupied with his individual fortunes to pay 
much attention to the general situation. M. de Talleyrand 
in the Memoirs is much clearer about the causes of the 
catastrophe than about its details, and he was out of France 
during the most critical years. His sojourn in America is 
one of the most agreeable episodes in his career, and for the 
reader — as indeed it was in reality for himself — it is a period 
of rest and relief, during which the horrors of the Conven- 
tion are kept out of sight, and you have time to take breath 
before coming to the stirring events of the Empire. 

M. de Talleyrand went on to say, as regards Mirabeau's 
receipt, that he regarded it as a family paper which he had no 
right to keep, and handed it over to Louis XVIII. himself, 
and knew nothing of what had become of it. 

London, June 21, 1834. — M. de Talleyrand was over 
fifty-three when he began to write the Memoirs, or rather a 
small volume on the Due de Choiseul. In 1809, when he 
was going to take the waters at Bourbon TArchambault, he 
asked Madame de Remus to lend him a book to read on the 
way. She gave him Lacretelle's Histoire du dixhuitieme 
Siecle, a work both inaccurate and incomplete. M. de 
Talleyrand, annoyed by the errors and the ignorance of 
the author, employed his leisure while at the waters in 
making a rapid sketch of one of the periods which Lacre- 
telle had particularly misrepresented. Those who came 



98 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

to know this fragment were so much pleased with it, 
and M. de Talleyrand was so much amused by writing 
it, that he formed the idea of grouping subsequent events 
round another person whom he had known very well. He 
then put together his study of the Due d'Orleans, a piece 
no less curious than the former, but since almost entirely 
rehandled and incorporated in his own Memoirs. These, 
of course, contain reminiscences of an even more personal 
character, and complete the story of the two epochs, of 
which one saw the preparation and the other the climax 
of the crisis in which M. de Talleyrand played a historic 
part. Most of the Memoirs (and in my opinion the most 
brilliant part) was written during the four years that he was in 
disgrace with the Emperor Napoleon. From 1814 to 1816 
he added almost nothing to the Memoirs ; later, and up 
to 1830, he devoted himself to revision, correction, and 
amplification. He inserted the portion about Erfurt, and 
another on the Spanish catastrophe, which brought Ferdi- 
nand VII. to Valen9ay, in the main body of the narrative, 
and brought it down to just after the Restoration ; but as 
all the copies of his despatches during the Congress of 
Vienna (of which the originals are at the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs) were stolen from him, he was without 
materials or notes for this interesting period, and this is 
sometimes obvious in the Memoirs. 

It is indeed unfortunate that M. de Talleyrand never kept 
a journal or took notes. He is abominably careless about his 
papers, and when he set about collecting his reminiscences he 
had nothing to depend'upon for the details but his memory, 
which is no doubt very good, but of course is too much 
overburdened not occasionally to leave regrettable gaps.^ 

I have often heard M. de Talleyrand tell most amusing 
stories, which are omitted from the Memoirs because by 
the time he came to write he had forgotten them. I 

1 Here we have a natural explaBation of what astonished readers of the 
Memoirs of the Prince de Talleyrand, which appeared in 1891 under the 
supervision of the Due de Broglie. The controversy which then arose as to 
whether M. de Bacourt had not cut down tlie text cannot be more authori- 
tatively set at rest than by this passage from Madame de Dino's journal. 



TALLEYRAND'S MEMOIRS 99 

myself was wrong not to write them down as I heard them, 
and to trust, like him, to my memory, which is so often 
deceptive for oneself and insufficient for others. 

M. de Talleyrand has, unhappily, been too ready to read 
his Memoirs, or parts of them, to all sorts of people. He 
has got sometimes one person, sometimes another, to copy 
the manuscript, and has dictated portions now and then. 
The result is that their existence has become known, and 
has awakened political anxiety in some quarters and literary 
jealousy in others. Treachery and cupidity have speculated 
on their importance. It is said, and I am disposed to 
believe it to be true, that several garbled copies exist, 
envenomed by the slanderous and uncharitable temper of 
their possessors, and that these are some day to be pub- 
lished. This would be a misfortune, not only because of 
the evil passions which would be awakened, but also because 
these unfaithful copies would deprive the authentic Memoirs, 
when they do appear, of their merit, their freshness, and 
their interest. They would be spoiled in the forestalling. 

Nothing can be more free from slander than the real 
Memoirs. I do not say that there are not occasional sallies 
of that gay and subtle malice which is so characteristic of 
M. de. Talleyrand's wit. But there is nothing unkind, 
nothing insulting and less scandal than in any work of this 
kind. M. de Talleyrand treats women with respect or at least 
with politeness, restraint and indulgence though they have 
occupied so large a place in his social existence. It is clear 
that he is grateful for the charm which they have imparted 
to his life, and if some day serious persons find the Memoirs 
imcomplete as history, and curious ones do not find all the 
revelations they expect, they may perhaps blame M. de 
Talleyrand's careless indolence ; women at least will always 
be grateful to him for the good manners which inspired his 
reticence and deprived the cynical publicists of to-day of new 
weapons for calumny and evil speaking. 

London^ June 22, 1834. Sir Robert Peel with whom I 
dined yesterday pointed out to me that M. Dupin, who was 
also present, was much more like an American than a 



100 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Frenchman. This is nearly the worst comphment which 
could be paid any one by an Englishman of good breeding. 
Sir Robert seemed to me to be in quite particularly good 
spirits. His careful questions about the members of the 
French Ministry, his insistence on his affection and admira- 
tion for M. de Talleyrand made me think that he had some 
idea in his mind that he would soon be in a position in 
which he would have direct dealings with them. I asked 
him whether he thought that Parliamentary manners and the 
tone of debate had changed since the Reform Bill was passed. 
He said they had up to a certain point, but that what had 
particularly struck him was the complete absence of any new 
talent, notwithstanding the accession of new members to the 
House of Commons. 

I thought him at least as much pleased as surprised by 
this. He has certainly excellent reasons for not wishing that 
the old parliamentary celebrities should be effaced. 

His house is one of the prettiest, best arranged, and best 
situated in London. It is full of fine pictures and valuable 
furniture, yet there is nothing pompous or ostentatious about 
it. Everything is in the best taste and nothing shows a 
trace of Sir Robert's humble origin. Lady PeeFs modest 
but distinguished countenance, her quiet and amiable 
manner, the intelligent faces of the children, the wealth of 
flowers which shed their perfume through the house, the 
great balcony opening on the Thames, from which you can 
see both Westminster and St. Paul's — everything combines 
to make the general effect both complete and charming. 
Yesterday evening was fine and really hot, and the combined 
brilliance of a lovely moon and of the gaslight on so many 
bridges and buildings made one feel one's self anywhere 
rather than in foggy England. 

London, June 23, 1834. — Lord Clanricarde, Mr. Canning's 
son-in-law has resigned his place in the Household because 
he is angry at not getting the Post Office which was given to 
Lord Conyngham. 

The great Conservative dinner in the City the day before 
yesterday was signalised by the presence of the Duke of 



MUSICAL FESTIVALS 101 

Richmond, and by his Grace''s reply to the Lord Mayor when he 
proposed the toast of the Duke of Wellington and the Peers 
who were present. The Duke of Richmond made a sort of 
public profession of his attachment to Church and State, and 
when the Lord Mayor proposed the health of the Earl of 
Surrey, the eldest son of the Duke of Norfolk, who is a 
member of the House of Commons, but who is not a 
Conservative and who is a Catholic, the Earl replied that he 
was convinced that the House of Commons would not be 
behind the Upper Chamber in maintaining the Church, yes, 
the Church and the ancient constitution of the realm. The 
cheering was immense. 

Everything, it seems, tends to bring Mr. Stanley and Sir 
Robert Peel closer and closer together. It is hoped that this 
alliance, already far advanced, will bring about the fall of the 
present Cabinet, but a sharp transition is not desired, for that 
might frighten John Bull who doesn't like Coalition Cabinets. 

London^ June 25, 1834. — In the large provincial towns 
of England there are every year what are called " Musical 
festivals." At these as a rule the great oratorios are given, 
and celebrated artists from all countries are engaged at great 
expense. These festivals last for several days ; all the smart 
people from the various parts of the county come into the 
town where the music is performed in the churches in the 
mornings, the evenings being given up to diversions of a 
more worldly character. Next to horse racing these functions 
draw the greatest crowds. 

In London a festival takes place only every fifty years, 
and yesterday was one of these anniversaries. The whole 
Court was present in state and will be on the three remaining 
days. Westminster Abbey was full, and, though less im- 
posing than at the King's coronation, the spectacle was even 
more brilliant. The arrangements were excellent ; there was 
no crowding or embarrassment ; everything went very well. 
The number of musicians, vocal and instrumental, was 
enormous- — seven hundred in all. Unfortunately the Abbey 
is so high, and constructed on principles so detrimental to 
all musical effect, that the prodigious numbers of voices and 



102 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

instruments which, it was said, was enough to bring down 
the building, hardly filled it. One felt this particularly 
during the first part of Haydn's Creation. Handel's Samson^ 
a broader and more powerful composition, was more suited 
to the circumstances of the occasion. The Funeral March 
made a deep impression on me and the final air sung by 
Miss Stevens with a trumpet obbligato was very fine. But 
the general effect was marred by the great mistake of placing 
the singers so low that their voices were lost before they 
could rise to the roof, there to find the point from which they 
could re-echo. I think the organ is the only instrument 
which can sufficiently fill a great cathedral. In such a place 
all the orchestras in the world sound thin and incongruous, 
and I was sorry yesterday that the organ was not used 
in the concerted pieces as it would have made the effect 
richer and more impressive. I even felt that this concert 
music was out of place in a church. It was like the effect 
of an academic panegyric, however beautiful and noble, being 
pronounced in a pulpit instead of a funeral sermon. 

London, June 26, 1834. — A propos of certain of our 
countrymen M. de Talleyrand remarked yesterday : " It is 
extraordinary how much talent vanity consumes." Nothing 
can be truer, especially as he applied it. 

It is announced that the Greek Order of the Saviour and 
the Portuguese Order of Christ have been conferred on 
M. de Talleyrand. On the occasion of his receiving the 
latter he told me that under the Empire, when Orders were 
raining upon him from every side, the Comte de Segur, Grand 
Master of the Ceremonies, seemed rather cast down because he 
had not got any, M. de Talleyrand begged the Emperor 
to allow him to give M. de Segur the Order of Christ which 
he had just received. This was done to M. de Segur's great 
satisfaction, and he never afterwards appeared without his 
broad ribbon. 

London, June 27, 1834. — The late Lord Castlereagh had 
a curious way of speaking French. He said to Madame de 
Lieven that what gave him most pleasure in her conversation 
was that his mind became " liquide " when in her company, 



THE KING'S HEALTH 103 

and one day, speaking of the union which prevailed among 
the Great Powers, he said to her that he was dehghted to 
say that they were all dams le meme potage, a rather too 
literal translation of the English idiom " in the same mess." 

Yesterday I had a long conversation with my cousin Paul 
Medem. He understands very well the difficulties of his 
position, which begin with the keen regret with which M. and 
Madame de Lieven are yielding him the place. These difficul- 
ties will be removed in part by the very wise advice of the Czar, 
that he should remain altogether outside the internal politics 
of England, and become neither Whig nor Tory. He told me 
that the real reason why he had been preferred to Matucze- 
wicz, was the marked and uncompromising character of the 
opinions which the latter had adopted in England, where he 
went in for politics with the vigour of John Bull himself. 

June 28, 1834. — The King of England is ill and his 
haste to see the Queen depart has suddenly changed into keen 
regret that she is going. She did everything she could to 
persuade him to allow her to stay, but the King replied that 
it was too late to change his mind, that all was ready and 
that she must go. To stay now would give rise to all sorts 
of unfortunate conjectures which should be avoided. 
"Besides," he added, "if a change in the Ministry comes 
soon it is better that you should be absent so that they can- 
not say, as they did some years ago, that you influenced me." 
The same day, speaking of his Ministers, the King said, " I 
am tired to death of these people," and when some one 
observed that if so, it was very curious that he did not 
dismiss them, he replied very sensibly, " But two years ago 
when I sent for the Tories they left me stranded at the end 
of twenty-foiir hours and abandoned me to the Whigs. 
This must not happen a second time. I shall therefore do 
nothing one way or the other, but let them fight it out as 
best they can among themselves." Things will not, however, 
turn out as before, for it was the refusal of Sir Robert Peel 
to take office which wrecked the plan on the former occasion. 
Now he is willing to take up the succession, and public 
opinion is prepared to see him do so. 



104 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

I hear much of internal dissensions in tlie Cabinet. It 
appears that Lord Lansdowne will not remain witli Mr. 
EUice, especially since the declaration of the latter in favour 
of tlie principles of INlr. O'Connell. It is also said that 
Lord Grey doesn"'t get on with Mr. Abercromby. Finally 
the disunion of the Cabinet is obvious, even to the public, 
and is being, I think, rather cleverly exploited by the 
Conservative Pai'ty. 

The Prince de Lieven yesterday introduced Paul Medem 
to Lord Grey, who appeared much embarrassed, and, after 
a long silence, found nothing to talk about but France, 
M. de Broglie, M. de Rigny, the elections, &c., just as he 
might have done with a French chargi d'affaires. For a 
Russian one, just come from St. Petersburg, this was very 
curious — Lord Grey'^s praises of Broglie were excessive ; his 
questions about Rigny cold and distrustful. 

London, June 29, 1834. — It is very strange that, as things 
are. Lady Holland, who has always professed to be a friend 
of Lord Aberdeen in spite of the difference of their political 
opinions, should have asked M. de Talleyrand to meet him at 
dinner at her house ! 

Yesterday I took leave of the Queen ; everything seemed 
definitely arranged for her departure. 

Don Carlos and his suite are established at Gloucester 
Lodge, a pretty house in one of the suburbs, which is called 
Old Brompton. This house, whose present owner is un- 
known to me, was built by the mother of the present Duke 
of Gloucester who gave it its name. Don Carlos"'s close 
proximity to London much embarrasses all the members of 
the diplomatic corps, whose courts have left their relations 
with Spain conveniently vague. The signatories of the 
Quadruple Alliance are of course out of the game. 

London, June 30, 1834. — The Marquis de Miraflores 
makes no progress in the difficult art of behaving tactfully 
in society. The other day he made another curious lapse. 
It was at the house of Lord Brougham the Chancellor, 
where he had been talking to M. de Talleyrand. The 
latter, turning to go, found himself face to face with Lucien 



DON CARLOS 105 

Bonaparte. They greeted each other and exchanged 
inquiries, coldly but politely, and M, de Talleyrand was 
about to take his leave when he was stopped by the Spanish 
Minister, who in a loud voice asked the French Ambassador 
to present him to Lucien Bonaparte ! It was a perfect 
example of tact ! 

The Duke of Wellington, whom I saw yesterday at a 
concert in honour of Madame Malibran, told me that he 
had been with Don Carlos that morning, and had had a 
very curious conversation with him. He could not give 
me an account of it then because of the crowd which 
surrounded us listening to everything we said, but he told 
me that nothing could exceed the squalour, poverty and 
untidiness of this King and Queen of Spain and the Indies. 
The Duke was the more astonished at this, as they have 
found money here, and might easily have bought a little 
soap and clean linen. All that the Duke told me of the 
conversation was as follows. First he told them the truth 
as he always does, and, seeing a priest, then observed, " God 
doubtless does much for those who invoke His help, but He 
does even more for those who do something for themselves." 
The priest only said that there was a Spanish proverb to the 
same effect. 

London, July 1, 1834. — Yesterday we received the news 
of the death of Madame Sosthene de la Rochefoucault, an event 
which proves that I am right in maintaining that there is no 
such thing as a malade irnaginaire. Nothing, in fact, can 
be so tedioas and wearisome as to be constantly watching, 
dieting and pitying one's self. How could any one keep up 
such a pretence unless some serious and painful symptom 
condemned one to it H But there are two things which the 
world never will believe in — the troubles and the sufferings 
of others. Every one is so afraid of being asked for 
sympathy and help, that it is found more convenient to 
deny the facts than to sacrifice one's self. All my life I 
have heard Madame Sosthene abused ; she was described as a 
lazy, complaining creature who had in reality the consti- 
tution of a Turk. When one does not look delicate, and 



106 DUCHfiSSE DE DINO 

even sometimes when one does, notliing short of dying will 
convince people that one is really ill. The world is only too 
ready to give exhibitions of its curiosity, its indiscretion, and 
its calumny, but its compassion, like its indulgence, only comes 
after the event, when you have no longer any need of it. 

M. de Montrond talks of returning to I^oueche to put his 
poor body in a bath. It would be a good thing if it were 
possible to put his soul in also. His visit here was an even 
worse failure than that of last yeai'. When you have sur- 
vived yourself, your fortune, your healtli, your wit, and your 
manners, and when there does not even remain the faintest 
reflection of your past glories to give you a little considera- 
tion in the world, tlie spectacle which you present is 
deplorable. I said one day to M. de Talleyrand that in 
my opinion nothing was left to M. de Montrond except to 
blow out his brains. He replied that he would do nothing 
of the sort, because he had never been able to put up with 
the smallest deprivation, and he would not willingly accept 
the deprivation of life any more than any other. 

Madame de IMontrond, who was divorced from her first 
husband ^ in order to marry M. de IMontrond, told me that 
one day, after she had been divorced for the second time 
and had resumed her maiden name Aimee de Coigny, she 
was being driven in a phaeton with INI. de Montrond, who 
himself took the reins. She was admiring the fine pair of 
English horses and praised the view, the equipage, and the 
driver. " It is not much of a pleasure," he replied ; " what 
would be worth doing would be to harness two young tigers, 
lash them to fury, to tame them, and then to kill them." 
This is, indeed, the language of an insatiable soul. 

London, July 2, 1834. — The Queen is definitely going on 
the 5 th. She will cross in the yacht BoijaJ George, which 
people are going to visit out of ciu-iosity, as well as two 
splendid steamboats, which will act as tugs when necessaiy. 
The whole Yacht Club will escort her, and the North Sea 
will be covered with a charming little fleet. The Queen is 
to land at Rotterdam some time on the 6th, and will 
1 The Due de Fleury, grand-nephew of the Cardinal. 



THE QUEEN'S JOURNEY 107 

proceerl the same evening incognita tfj her sister, the 
Duchess of Weimar, who lives in the suburbs of The Hague, 
llie Prince of Orange, I understand, is to be there as if by 
chance. The Princess of Orange is in Germany with her 
sister. 

London, July 3, 1834. — I^ord Grey has become extremely 
nervoas and irritable. Yesterday, while dining with Lord 
Sefton, he was, as they say here, quite ctoss becaase dinner 
was later than usual ; because Lady Cowley, a witty and 
animated woman but a great Tory, was there ; and, finally, 
because every one was in full dress for the Duke of Wel- 
lington*'s ball. It is really curioas that a man in Lord 
Grey's exalted position and of such a noble nature as he, 
should be so sensitive to small matters, and should have 
nerves so childishly susceptible. 

ITrie Duke of Wellington gave a splendid ball, very 
magnificent, brilliant, and well-arranged. All the guests 
did their best not to dim the lustre of the proceedings, and 
1 think they were successful. 

M. Royer-Collard writes to me : " The aspect of the 
elections is deceptive ; they are much less ministerial than 
they seem. Next Session will be very heavy, and the 
Ministry is prepared for trouble. The great number of 
coalitions is a very serious symptom. WTriat must be the 
violence of the hatreds which have formed such an alliance ! " 
Further on he adds, " When one knows a person one is 
usually able to predict with fair accuracy what he will say 
or do in given circumstances, but M. Dupin defies all calcu- 
lation. Tlie rashness of his speech is such as cannot be 
foreseen ; it is the same here as in London, and it makes it 
impossible that he should ever come into power.'' 

London, July 4, 1834. — The other day the Queen said 
something which seemed very ridiculous to the person to 
whom she said it, but which seems to me quite intelligible, 
probably owing to what M. de Talleyrand would call my 
ullemanderie. She said that " during the sixteen hours 
which she spent last week in Westminster Abbey during the 
performance of the great oratorios, she had had more time 



108 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

and leisure to reflect on her position, and for self-examination 
than she usually had. This has led to her making dis- 
coveries, for instance that she was more attached to the 
King than she was perhaps aware, that she was more 
necessary to her husband than she had thought, and, in a 
word, that henceforth England was her only true country. 
All this makes her departure particularly painful, but she 
has one consolation. This is the thought that when she is 
away the King will be more disposed to assist in bringing 
about a change of Ministry, and that it cannot be supposed 
that in doing so he is yielding to her influence. There is 
much, perhaps too much, frankness in such pieces of self- 
revelation, but I think that all these ideas are perfectly 
natural, and I understand perfectly how they were inspired 
in the places and circumstances above described. 

The King for his part gives the most curious explana- 
tions of his regret at the Queen's leaving him, which 
gTows keener day by day. Thus he said to Madame de 
Lieven yesterday. " I could never explain to you, Madame, 
the innumerable ways in which the Queen is of use to me." 
This is a strange and rather ridiculous way of putting it. 
The King has gout in his hands which makes it difficult to 
use them, prevents him from riding, and often from writing. 
This causes him much pain when he has many papers to sign, 
and makes him depend on his valet in the smallest matters. 
All his fine plans of resuming his bachelor existence and 
of amusing himself as suits his fancy are abandoned. So 
much so that his Majesty concluded his confidences to 
Madame de Lieven by saying that once the Queen is gone he 
would go to Windsor and live there like a hermit, never leaving 
the place till she came back. 

The departure of her Majesty, which takes place to- 
morrow, will be a really splendid spectacle. Besides her own 
vessel the two great steam-boats and all the Yacht Club, 
tlie Lord Mayor, and all the City Companies will escort the 
Queen in their State barges as a mark of respect up to the 
point on the river at which their jurisdiction ends. It is 
said, too, that a Dutch fleet is to be sent to meet her. 



A SCHISM AT ALMACK'S 109 

Almack's, the celebrated Almack's,^ which for twenty years 
has been the despair of the middle classes, the object of the 
emulation and the desire of so many young ladies in the 
provinces, Almack's, which gives or withholds the stamp of 
fashion, Almack's, the despotism par excellence, ruled with a 
rod of iron by six of the most exclusive ladies in London; 
Almack's, like all modern institutions, carries in its bosom the 
seeds of its own destruction ! Following on a relaxation of 
internal regulations came a violation of its privileges, for the 
Duke of Wellington dared to give a ball on Wednesday, the 
day devoted and consecrated exclusively to Almack's. Finally, 
there has been disunion and a conflict of jurisdiction in the 
Council of Six, and like the constitution of Church and State, 
so much shaken at present, Almack's also threatens to fall to 
pieces, and we fear for the safety of an institution where 
young ladies find husbands, women of position an exer- 
cising ground for their pretentions, novelists the most 
brilliant scenes in their stories, foreigners their introduction 
to society, and everybody a more or less legitimate interest 
to occupy them in the height of the season. 

Lady Jersey is accused of being the subversive spirit. 
The counts in the indictment against her are numerous. 
She would not allow the appointment of younger patronesses, 
who being livelier than their elders might have revived the 
fading interest people took in the place. She had been 
much to blame in giving tickets carelessly to people who 
were anything but elegant, and had refused to submit her 
lists to the inspection of her colleagues. Further, having 
herself introduced an undesirable element at the balls, she 
had decried them, and in spite of the fact that she was a 
patroness had ceased to go herself, and had persuaded the 
Duke of Wellington to give a ball on Wednesday. She had 
tried to force the other patronesses to change the day, and 
finally, not content with having set at naught in this way 
all the most sacred traditions of the institution, she had 

1 Almack's was an academy of fashion where all the best society in London 
collected. The patronesses were six ladies of high rank ; every man of the 
world had to make his d^ut at Almack's. 



110 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

written an arrogant and preposterous letter, or rather 
manifesto, to Lady Cowper, complaining that, as her advice 
had been disregarded, Almack's had clashed with the Duke of 
Wellington's Ball, and threatening that, as she was very 
angry at this, she would resign her position as a member of 
the Committee. It is expected that at the next meeting 
there will be a great row. I confess that if the public were 
admitted I should certainly be present. 

It must be admitted that Lady Jersey carries blind vanity 
to a degree which is beyond all bounds. She is absolutely 
stupid, and her origin is bom-geois.-^ Her husband is too 
indulgent, and she is beautiful with a beauty which is im- 
perfect but very well preserved. Her health is robust, her 
energy untiring, and the possession of all these advantages 
has convinced her that she has enough money to excuse all 
her caprices, enough beauty to be the despair or the rapture 
of all the men about her, enough wit to rule the world, and 
enough authority to be always paramount without question 
in the favour of princes, in the confidence of statesmen, in 
the hearts of the young men, and even in the opinion of her 
rivals. She thinks her superiority so incontestable that 
modesty is unnecessary and would be merely hypocritical, so 
she does without it perfectly. She speaks of her beauty, which 
she exhibits with all the complacency of Helen of Troy, of 
her wit, her virtue, and her sensibility each in its turn. Piety 
arrives punctually on Sunday and departs on Monday. She 
has neither restraint nor ability, nor generosity, nor kindness, 
nor honesty nor dignity. She is either mocked or hated, 
either avoided or feared. In my opinion her heart is bad, her 
head empty, her character dangerous, her society tedious, but 
when all is said and done she is as they say, " the best 
creature in the world." 

London, July 6, 1834. — The rather violent altercation in 
the House of Commons between Mr. Littelton, Chief Secre- 
tary for Ireland, and Mr. CCoimell has not been well received, 
and has brought out in a strong light both the indiscretion 

1 Through her mother Lady Jersey was the grand-daughter of Robert 
Child, the banker. 



A DAY IN THE COUNTRY 111 

of the former and the want of principle of the latter. 
After such a scene it was expected that the two champions 
would have a mutual explanation not without arms, and that 
Mr. Littelton would resign or be dismissed. But the 
political epidermis is neither very fine nor very sensitive ; 
the manners and customs of Parliament make people callous 
very quickly, and ambition and intrigue promptly dethrone 
every sentiment of delicacy, and sometimes every sentiment 
of honour. 

Mr. Stanley made another long speech the day before 
yesterday on the eternal question of the Irish Church, 
launching defiance at the Government of which he was 
so lately a member. This was so easy to foresee that I 
was astonished at the stupidity of Ministers and their 
friends, who maintained breathlessly that Mr. Stanley would 
remain their friend and defender after his resignation as he 
had been before. As if between politicians there could be., 
any other bond of union except common ambition ? 

The Neapolitan Minister thought it his duty to present 
himself before Don Carlos, who sent for him. He made up 
his mind, however, not to commit his Court without in- 
structions, and to give Don Carlos no higher title than 
" Monseigneur." However, when he got to Gloucester 
Lodge, he was solemnly introduced into the presence of 
the Prince, who received him standing in the midst of his 
Court, the Princesses at his side so black and ugly, with 
eyes of such an African cast, that poor old Ludolf became 
confused, and hearing every one cry " the King," and feeling 
these four terrible black eyes fixed on him with the fury of 
wild beasts, he felt that if he did not go beyond " Mon- 
seigneur "" his last hour was come ; and so he scattered 
"King" and "Majesty" right and left, and was glad to 
escape alive from that den of brigands ! 

The Princesse de Lieven gave us a charming day in the 
country yesterday. The company showed both good humour 
and good taste, and consisted of the Princess, Lady Clanri- 
carde, M. Dedel, Count Pahlen, Lord John Russell, and 
myself. The weather was splendid, except for two thunder- 



112 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

showers, which we all took in good part. We dined at 
Burford Bridge, a pretty little inn at the foot of Box 
Hill, only half of which we were able to climb owing to 
the heat. We also visited Deepdeue, a country house which 
belongs to Mr. Hope,^ and well deserves its name. The 
vegetation is fine, but the place is low-lying and melancholy ; 
the house is in a pretentious Egyptian style, which is gro- 
tesque and ugly. 

Mr. Denison's property of Denbies,^ which we next 
visited, is admirably situated ; the view is rich and varied, 
but the house is insignificant, at least from the outside. 
All this country is quite picturesque — remarkably so, in 
fact, when one thinks how near it is to a great city like 
London. The party was undoubtedly very pleasant, and I 
like to look back on it. 

Lojidon, July 7, 1834. — The Duke of Cumberland has 
announced his intention of visiting Don Carlos, which much 
displeases the King. The Duke of Gloucester would be 
tempted to go too, but he was unwilling to do so without 
telling the King, who begged him not to do so. 

Here is exactly what passed between the Infante Don 
Carlos and the Duke of Wellington. The Infante began 
by sending the Bishop of Leon to the Duke, who thought 
him a fat and rather common priest, but that he had more 
sense than all the rest of the party put together. The 
Bishop begged the Duke to go to see his master and 
give him his advice. The Duke declined to advise on a 
position the details of which, as well as the resources 
available, were unknown to him, but felt that he could not 
very well refuse to call on Don Carlos, with whom he had 
the singular conversation which follows : 

Don Carlos. Do you advise me to go by sea and rejoin 
Zumalacarreguy in Biscaya? 

Duke of Wellington. But have you the means of 

1 This house still belongs to the Hope family, and contains a remarkable 
picture gallery. The park and the Italian garden are among the finest in 
England. 

2 Denbies now belongs to Mr. G. Cubitt ; it is situated in the county of 
Surrey, near Dorking, 



A POLITICAL CONVERSATION 113 

getting there ? {No reply.) Have you a seaport at your 
disposal where you would be sure to be able to disembark ? 

Don Caelos. Zumalacarreguy will take one for me. 

Duke of Wellington. But in order to do so he would 
have to leave Biseaya. Moreover, you must not forget 
that, in accordance with the Treaty of Quadruple Alliance, 
England will not allow you to start for Spain, having 
engaged to expel you from that country. 

Don Carlos, Very well. I will go by way of France. 

Duke of Wellington. But France has entered into the 
same engagements. 

Don Carlos. What would be done if I crossed France ? 

Duke of Wellington. You would be arrested. 

Don Carlos. What impression would be produced on the 
other Powers by this ? 

Duke of Wellington. The impression that a Prince had 
been arrested. 

Don Carlos. But if there were a change of Ministry here 
they would restore me in Spain. 

Duke of Wellington. Many intriguing persons, some of 
them of the highest rank, will try to persuade you that this 
is so, and I cannot sufficiently warn you against such a 
delusion. England has recognised Isabella II., and cannot 
go back on that recognition or on the engagements entered 
into by treaty. What I say may be unpleasant, but I think 
that to say it is the greatest service I can do you. I know 
this country well ; you need expect nothing from it. I am 
indeed astonished that, after the treaty our Government has 
signed, you should have chosen it for your residence. From 
many points of view you would, I think, be much better off 
in Germany. I do not know the strength of your party in 
Spain, or what its chances of success may be, but I do not 
believe that you will ever find any honest or efficient help 
except in Spain itself. 

Such is the conversation, which seems to me very interest- 
ing as illustrating the extraordinary ignorance of the one 
and the simple straightforwardness of the other. The Duke 
was much struck by a sort of cretinism which distinguishes 

H 



114 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

this unhappy Prince, who knows and has learned nothing, 
who has neither dignity, nor courage, nor address, nor in- 
telHgence, and who really appears to be on the lowest rung 
of the human ladder. It is said that the Princesses, the 
children, and, in fact, every one about him, are much of the 
same sort. It is a pitiable spectacle. 

The Duke of Wellington does not believe in the million 
sent by M. de Blacas. He thinks that it is no doubt rather 
the Spanish clergy who have sent a little money. 

I told the Duke that I had seen many people who were very 
curious to know what title he had given to Don Carlos when 
he was with him. He said, " You see from what I have told 
you that there is nothing in the conversation I had with the 
prince which might not be printed ; there is nothing which 
could offend any one. The curiosity you mention reminds 
me of that shown by all Spaniards during the Peninsular 
War, to know the manner in which I addressed Joseph 
Bonaparte when I communicated with him as I often did. 
His French correspondence was often intercepted and brought 
to me. It contained much information that I could not 
allow him to have, but also news of his wife and children of 
which I had no wish to deprive him, and which I used to 
send through the French outposts. On these occasions I 
used to write to the French General saying, ' Acquaint the 
King that his wife, or his eldest daughter, or his younger 
daughter, is better, or not so well, as the case might be, that 
they have gone to the country,' &c. &c. I never said the 
King of Spain, and I addressed my communications to the 
French General commanding, and not to the Spanish 
Generals of Joseph's party. Thus in this title of King there 
was no recognition to be inferred. It was a piece of civility 
and nothing more, and as such was of no consequence."" 
Thus the Duke left me to my own reflections on the manner 
in which he addressed Don Carlos when he saw him. 

All these poor Spaniards were at the Opera yesterday, 
where, as was natural, they were the object of much 
curiosity. 

I hear from Paris that they are busy bringing a Governor 



MINISTERIAL DECADENCE 115 

of Algiers into the world. Marshal Soult would like to send 
a Marshal, others want a civilian in order that the Due 
Decazes may have the place. He is loudly asking for it, 
and Thiers for one has promised that it shall be his. It is 
a curious thing to see a favourite of Louis XVIII. taking 
refuge in Algiers ! I can remember a time when people 
were casting about for a means to send him far away and 
when Algiers with its Dey, its slavery and its bow strings, 
would have been considered at the Pavilion Marsan to be a 
most excellent solution of the problem. Rascality, eccen- 
tricity, reverses of fortune, catastrophes have not been 
wanting in the years which I have seen, the number of which 
seems double and treble what it really is when I think of the 
immensity of the events which have happened, the destinies 
which have been destroyed, the ruins and the recoveries 
which they have witnessed. 

London, July 8, 1834. — The English Ministry cannot 
either live or die. Each day demolishes a fraction of the 
edifice ; it is impossible that the Cabinet should not feel 
itself shaken to its foundations, and yet against all parlia- 
mentary tradition it remains in office in defiance of the 
insults and indiscretions, the paltry cowardice of one set of 
people, the paltry treachery of others. Even the King is 
not acting straightforwardly ; the Conservatives are ready 
to take up an inheritance which seems within their grasp, 
but they prefer taking it over quietly to snatching it from 
the dying hands of its present owners. Meanwhile nothing 
is done, nothing decided, and the astonished and expectant 
public looks on uncomprehendingly. Lord Althorp announces 
that Mr. Littleton has offered his resignation which Lord 
Grey has refused to accept. Lord Grey denies that 
the Cabinet has taken a decision announced by the Duke 
of Richmond with (according to his account) the special 
permission of the King. If the old Parliamentary tradition 
were observed this strange incident would lead to some 
drastic solution of the problem, but as things are, no one 
expects anything more than some paltry patching up of the 
Ministry. In the meantime while they are haggling over 



116 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

the price of existence at home, Lord Palmerston is finding a 
peremptory settlement for all foreign questions, refusing 
explanations to one party, declining to accept them from 
another, irritating and alarming everybody. It is not 
assuredly a case for imitating John Huss on his way to 
execution who, seeing a poor old woman hurrying with a 
blind zeal for the glory of God to throw another faggot on 
the pyre on which he was to be burned, exclaimed Sancta 
simplicitas ! 

A propos of Lord Palmerston and his reputation even 
among those who cannot do without him, I shall quote the 
remark of Lord William Russell, the most tranquil and 
moderate of men. Madame de Lieven had expressed to him 
her desire to see him Ambassador at St. Petersburg, at an 
early date, to which he replied, " Nothing could be more 
splendid or fortunate for my career, yet if Lord Palmerston 
thought of me I should refuse. What he wants is not an 
enlightened and truthful agent, but a man who will 
distort the truth to suit his prejudices. If you display any 
independence, whether of language or of opinion, it irritates 
him. His one thought is how to get rid of you and bring 
about your ruin. When I was at Lisbon my views did not 
agree with his, so he attacked my wife's reputation, and if I 
were to send him any information from St. Petersburg except 
what he wanted to receive, he would simply say that I had 
been bought by Russia and try to dishonour me in that way. 
No gentleman can in the end consent to do business with 
him." 

London, July 9, 1834. — Paul Medem was telling us 
yesterday that nothing was so curious as the excessive 
partiality shewn by the Due de Broglie, when he was Minister, 
for Lord Granville. The preference given by him to the 
British Ambassador over all the rest of the diplomatic corps 
seemed natural in the circumstances, but, as it was not only 
an exclusive preference but an anxious, jealous and absorbing 
passion, it became ridiculous, embarrassing and often in- 
expedient. 

Another fact which was not less curious was that the 



RESIGNATION OF LORD GREY 117 

day after he left the Ministry when he was going the round 
of the Ambassadors and explaining to them the reasons for 
his resignation, the Due de Broglie, by way of softening 
what he wrongly supposed to be their regret, added that 
his ideas and his system were still represented in his pupil 
M. Duchatel whom he had put there after having initiated 
him into the great affairs which were to be the chief concern 
of his life, and having formed him as a statesman of the first 
eminence. This legacy so pompously announced seemed of 
less importance to the legatees than to the testator. 

London^ July 10, 1834. — I learned from the Times 
yesterday that Lord Grey and Lord Althorp, having asked 
for the adjournment of several Bills in the House of Lords, and 
having had a very long meeting of the Cabinet, tendered their 
resignations to the King, who immediately accepted them. 

Without hearing any more I left Town with the Countess 
of Sutherland and Countess Batthydny to spend the morning 
at Bromley Hill, a charming country house where Lord 
Farnborough, Mr. Pitfs old friend, always lives, devoting 
himself entirely to this delightful habitation which is 
remarkable alike for its fine situation, its beautiful woods, 
flowers and water, and the perfect taste and care with which 
it is managed. We were quite delighted with everything 
and sorry to go back to the smoke and politics of London. 

We could hear nothing more about the great event of the 
day except the simple fact of the King's message to Lord 
Melbourne. Nothing is known as yet of what passed between 
the King and him. In the evening we went to Lord Grey''s 
and found him en famille. His children seemed cast down, 
his wife angry ; he alone was cheerful, simple and friendly, 

1 The following was the composition of Lord Grey's Cabinet : First Lord 
of the Treasury, Earl Grey ; Lord Chancellor, Lord Brougham ; Lord Presi- 
dent of the Council, the Marquess of Lansdowne ; Lord Privy Seal, the 
Earl of Durham ; Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Althorp ; Home 
Secretary, Viscount Melbourne ; Foreign Secretary, Viscount Palmerston ; 
Colonial Secretary, Viscount Goderich ; President of the Board of Trade, 
Lord Auckland ; First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir James Graham ; Post- 
master-General, the Duke of Eichmond ; Chief Secretary for Ireland, Mr. 
Stanley; Paymaster-General, Lord John Russell ; President of the Board of 
Control, Mr. Charles Grant ; Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Lord 
Holland. 



118 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

displaying the noble and candid demeanour which is natural 
in him, and which in its way is quite touching. He told 
us quite naturally that there had been a series of difficulties 
and dissensions which were constantly renewed from the 
beginning of the session onwards, and that the last incident 
— the foolish indiscretion of Mr. Littelton of which Lord 
Althorp gave such a lame explanation in the House of 
Commons — had made Mr. Littelton's resignation insufficient, 
and had necessitated his own and Lord Althorp's. 

I thought that in Lord Grey's family it was Mr. Stanley 
who was hated most, for it was his resignation, followed by 
a bitter speech, which produced the situation in which the 
Littelton incident was only the culminating crisis. The 
Commons were so far from satisfied with Lord Althorp's 
speech on this that a series of groups developed, each of 
which was capable of making its displeasure felt. This is 
what put an end to Lord Grey's prolonged uncertainty. He 
seemed to us satisfied with the effect produced by the per- 
sonal explanation of his whole conduct which he had just 
given in the House of Lords. 

Mr. Ward his son-in-law came with news of the House 
of Commons, where it appeared that Lord Althorp's expla- 
nations were received coldly enough. The impression there 
was that, besides Lord Grey and Lord Althorp, Messrs. 
Abercromby, Grant, and Spring Rice had also left the 
Ministry. This Lord Grey said was incorrect. Only he 
and Lord Althorp had actually resigned, and indeed the 
Chancellor had gone so far as to say in the House of 
Lords that for his part he meant to stay, and would not 
give up the Great Seal unless formally ordered to do so by 
the King. On this I ventured to ask whether the Premier's 
resignation did not necessarily involve that of all the other 
members of the Cabinet. " In theory, yes," replied Lord 
Grey, " but in fact, no. But you are right, it is the usual 
custom, and, as a matter of fact, any Ministry is dissolved. 
However, these gentlemen individually may remain in the 
new Cabinet." His manner in answering was visibly awk- 
>vard and embarrassed, 



POSITION OF THE CABINET119 

Next we went to Lord Holland's ; he was much more 
upset than Lord Grey, and much irritated at the attack 
made on the Cabinet by the Duke of Wellington in Parlia- 
ment, which he considered to be malicious and in bad taste. 
He said that the Tories seemed quite ready to take up the 
succession, but he hoped the Chancellor's speech would dis- 
gust them with the undertaking by showing them what 
enormous difficulties they would have to contend with. 
He added, moreover, that " you can't go out to dinner 
without being asked," and that, so far, the King had not 
summoned the Tories to office, but had sent for Lord Mel- 
bourne, though he did not know what had passed at the 
interview. 

To our question whether the Cabinet was entirely or only 
partially dissolved, Lord Holland replied that the King must 
consider himself to be without Ministers, and that for his part, 
though he had not handed in his resignation, he regarded 
himself as out of office. On this question there is an air of 
uncertainty which proves how much these gentlemen are 
attached to their places and how unwilling they are to give 
them up. Lord Melbourne arrived while we were there, and 
we discreetly retired, being no more enlightened by the end 
of the day than we had been at the beginning. 

There is no new light, it seems, on the Spanish situation. 
There is a cholera scare which the Queen Regent is trying 
to make an excuse for retirement from the public eye at a 
time which is said to be embarrassing for her. It is a bad 
thing for Her Majesty to lose the esteem of a public whose 
good opinion and goodwill are so desirable. The cholera 
and the Queen's seclusion are throwing the conduct of 
Government business into great confusion. They talk of 
changing the place of meeting of the Cortes. 

It is asserted that the Infante Don Francesco, is still at 
Madrid with his wife, who is on bad terms with the Queen 
Regent although she is her sister, and is aiming at the 
Regency for himself instigated by his consort. It is even 
hinted that his plans are more ambitious still. Civil war is 
still general in the north, and the principal actors in the drama 



being placed as they are, it is impossible to predict what the 
result of the present state of matters in the South of Europe 
will be. 

London^ July 11, 1834. — When the King sent for Lord 
Melbourne yesterday he spoke to him of his desire that a 
Coalition Ministry should be formed, and asked him to 
undertake it. Yesterday morning, however. Lord Melbourne 
had to wTite to the King to say that the task was impossible. 
At the same moment Lord Brougham, who does not conceal 
his desire to stay in office and direct affairs, has also written 
to the King to say that nothing would be easier than to recon- 
struct the administration out of the ruins of its predecessor 
and to continue to govern on the same system. Two leading 
Tories have told Madame de Lieven that if they were sent for 
by the King they would accept office. Their plans -were 
made, they said, and when asked whether they would have 
the courage to dissolve they said that they would not dis- 
solve because they belie\'ed that they could control the 
existing House bad as it is. They also expressed themselves 
very favourably on the subject of the French Alliance and 
especially regarding M. de Talleyrand, whose conservative 
policy inspires them with so much confidence that they say 
he is the only French Ambassador who would suit them. 

Yesterday we had at dinner some relics of the fallen 
Ministry. The causes of the catastrophe were freely dis- 
cussed ; it seems to have been due to a series of small 
treacheries or, as Lady Holland said, to High Treason. 

Lord Brougham, whom Lord Dui-ham, perhaps justly, 
described as a rogue and a madman, appears to be the villain 
of the piece. He has been secretly corresponding with the 
Marquess Wellesley, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, in order 
to persuade him to make reports to Lord Grey different from 
those previously sent and intended to induce him to abandon 
the Coercion Bill. On the other hand he asked the Lords 
Justices for an opinion on the state of Ireland and on the 
measures which should be adopted, but, as it was not Avhat he 
wanted, it never reached Lord Grey and has every appearance 
of having been suppressed. Mr. Littelton's indiscyetiops — 



A PROLONGED CRISIS 121 

Lord Althorp's want of energy, the difficulties of the situation 
as a whole — all this put together ended Lord Grey's irresolu- 
tion. He had for some time past been decided not to face 
next session. He wished to retire after the present one and 
to choose his successor. I believe that he is sincerely glad 
to be out of the turmoil, but that he is sorry to have resigned 
when his position was honey-combed with treason and with- 
out knowing into whose hands power would fall. He is 
very dignified about it, but his wife is full of regret and 
irritation at the loss of all the chances of establishing her 
family which came from her husband's being Prime Minister. 
Lady Holland is quite prostrate with regret for the 
comfort in which the Duchy of Lancaster kept her husband. 
Lord Holland talks of it all with a mixture of geniality, 
indifference, annoyance and good spirits which is rare, 
amusing and astonishing. 

No one knows, foresees, or even guesses what is to be the 
result of the crisis. 

The King is at Windsor surrounded by an undistinguished 
crowd of relatives, legitimate and illegitimate, who have 
neither cleverness nor consistency and who are not even agreed 
among themselves. It is impossible to gauge what influence 
they will have one way or the other. The presence of the 
Queen would have had more effect, but I am glad to think 
that her absence relieves her of all responsibility. The 
King foresaw this, and said so several times, and her own 
consolation on leaving was the thought that she could not be 
accused of influencing the Royal decisions. 

London, July 13, 1834. — It is evident that several people 
have been duped this week. The most surprised and upset 
are of course the Conservatives. They and the public with 
them have always imagined that the King, too weak to 
dismiss the Ministry, would none the less be delighted to get 
rid of them and would eagerly seize the first opportunity to 
recall the Tories to office. Yet hours and days pass with- 
out their being sent for. 

I dined with them yesterday ; they were obviously dis- 
appointed, and the Duke of Wellington, next whom I sat at 



122 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

dinner at Lady Jersey's, talked quite frankly to me about it. 
I quite agreed with his opinion of the inevitable result of the 
King''s conduct. Lord Grey represented the last stage 
between innovation and revolution, and the King, by letting 
slip a natural and decent opportunity, will be unable to retrace 
his steps, and will precipitate himself into the abyss which is 
destined to engulf the monarchy and the country. The 
effect which this will have in Europe is incalculable. 

Some one who was dining last night in the opposite camp 
told me that the Whigs were sure that the King had come 
back to town in order to leave Lord Melbourne free to choose 
Avhat Ministry he liked as he had refused to construct a 
coalition. This conjecture is confirmed by the fact that 
several prominent members of the House of Commons have 
appointments with Lord Melbourne this morning. It appears 
that the question is whether the more drastic clauses of the 
Coercion Bill for Ireland are to be abandoned. Lord 
Melbourne wishes to retain them, but in that case it would 
be necessary to do without Lord Althorp who seems to be 
the only person capable of leading the House of Commons. 
All doubts will probably be resolved when it comes to the 
point, and to-morrow we shall have a reconstructed or at least 
a readjusted Ministry, smoothly plastered to the outward 
view but bearing in itself the seeds of its destruction. What 
I have long believed and sometimes said seems to be coming 
true. 

Sir Herbert Taylor, George III.''s private secretary, with 
whom once upon a time Princess Amelia fell hopelessly in love, 
who was said to be without influence under George III., and 
who was a model of discretion under George IV., occupies the 
same position under the present King. I have always suspected 
him of being a devoted friend of the Whigs and especially 
of Lord Palmerston. He was the only man at Windsor to 
whom the King could speak during the crisis, and through 
whom all the necessary communications could have passed. 
His prompting and his subterranean, yet active and long 
prepared intrigues are believed to be the cause of what is now 
happening. 



CONFLICTING RUMOURS 123 

Rumours succeed and destroy each other. One is wearied 
out with curiosity, unsatisfied and unjustified. It is said 
again that Lord Melbourne will be quite at liberty to govern 
his Ministry as he will. It is also said that the King, who 
has certainly not left Windsor, has sent Sir Herbert Taylor 
to Sir Robert Peel. 

Again it is asserted that Dom Pedro is dead and Don 
Carlos gone. In fact the city and the clubs are amusing 
themselves (to kill time I suppose) by disseminating the 
most extraordinary and contradictory news. People end by 
believing nothing and listening to no one, and meanwhile one 
waits patiently with a sort of lassitude until the Gazette 
announces officially who is going to take up the heavy and 
difficult task of the Ministry. 

Meanwhile Lord Grey occupies himself with little dinners 
at Greenwich, where he consoles himself for his fall and the 
treachery of his friends, Madame de Lieven for her gilded 
exile, and M. de Talleyrand for the conflict of unsatisfied 
ambition and a natural weariness. The other day Lord 
Grey said very happily in his farewell speech in Parliament, 
that when one was seventy years old as he was, one might 
manage affairs very well in ordinary times, but that in a 
period so critical as the present it needed the activity and 
energy which belong only to youth. 

This is a truth which I have had the opportunity of 
verifying in my own circle, and I have felt that in public life 
it is above all things necessary to choose a good moment for 
retreat, not to lose the proper moment, and so to quit 
politics gracefully, thus carrying with you the applause of 
the spectators and avoiding their hisses. 

London, July 14, 1834. — This morning people were 
writing from Windsor to London to find out what was going 
on. The King's silence had been complete ; and in his long 
walks with his sister, the Princess Augusta, or his daughter, 
Lady Sophia Sidney, all conversation was carefully avoided,, 
and nothing was talked of but the weather. 

The Queen's journey has met with some difficulties ; and 
Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence, who it appears is not a very 



124 DUC HESSE DE DING 

skilful sailor, had sovno difUcnlty in findint:^ tht^ way, and 
besides, the royal yacht drew too much water. Fortunately, 
the Duke and Duchess of Saxe- Weimar, and the Prince and 
Princess of the Netherlands had come in a Dutch steamer to 
meet her Majesty, who was able to go on board the latter 
vessel with her maid, and proceed to The Hague direct ; the 
suite reached Rotterdam with some dilHculty. 

It seems to have been very fortunate that the Queen was 
able to aA'oid Rotterdam herself, for they are so much 
annoyed that they had prepared an ugly reception for her. 
It had been arranged here that she was to meet neither the 
King nor the Queen of the Netherlands, and this condition 
had been strongly insisted on by the King of England. A 
" chance meeting,'" however, which might take place at the 
palace of Loo, had been talked of. 

Sir Herbert Taylor has of late been the centre of interest 
for a good many people, and has been discussed in many 
conversations. In this way I learned that when he was 
proposed as private secretary to George III., who had 
become blind, it was also proposed that he should be made 
a Privy Councillor. The mere idea roused the King to fury, 
and, in the presence of all his Ministers, he said to Mr. 
Taylor : " Remember, sir, that you are to be my pen and 
my eye, but nothing else ; that if you should presume but 
once to remember what you hear, read, or write, to have an 
opinion of your own or to give any advice, we should part 
for ever." And, as a matter of fact, under George III. and 
later under George IV., Mr. Taylor was never more than a 
kind of lay figure without eyes to see or ears to hear, or a 
memory to remember. They say that things ai*e changed 
now, though he still keeps up the appearance of the greatest 
reserve and the most profound discretion. I heard on the 
same occasion that, until he gi-ew blind, George III. never 
used a secretary, even for making envelopes or sealing 
his letters. His correspondence was extensive as well as 
secret ; he always knew what was going on in society and 
all the political intrigues ; and when displeased witli his 
Ministers or distrusting their measures he would secretly take 



DON CARLOS ESCAPES 125 

the advice of the Opposition. He was never taken by 
surprise, followed public opinion, and combined considerable 
learning with a great dignity of carriage. 

Since the day before yesterday a rumour has been afloat 
that Don Carlos has already quitted London and has already 
landed in France, everybody supposing that he was lying ill at 
Gloucester Lodge. Tliis though generally believed is not 
yet proved. What makes me doubt it is that M. de Mira- 
flores claims that it is true, and boasts that he has led Don 
Carlos into this proceeding by means of an agent in his pay 
who, Pie says, persuaded the unfortunate Prince to take this 
step in order to betray him to the first Spanish patrol on 
the frontier, from whom he would receive short shrift. This 
singular and horrible boast would have to be taken seriously 
if uttered by any other person. Hut M. de Miraflores is as 
idiotic in politics as in love, and it is quite likely that 
the whole story is false, or at any rate, that the agent who 
is said to have inveigled the Prince has only duped the 
diplomat. 

Yesterday evening, politeness, interest, curiosity, and 
affection, in a word, every possible motive, good and bad, 
brought an unusually large number of people to Lady Grey's 
Sunday reception, which is believed to be her last. It was 
being said there in veiled language, but in a manner 
which admitted of no doubt, that Lord Melbourne had come 
back from Windsor, Prime Minster, and charged with the con- 
struction of a new Ministry out of the old Cabinet, to which 
Lord Grey alone will not return. If this is so, the former 
will commence in the sinister character of a traitor, and the 
latter will end with the melancholy countenance of a dupe. 
ITie King will have been weak enough to prefer patching up 
matters to being energetic for a day or two, which might 
doubtless have been difficult, but would have been at least 
dignified, and certainly salutory for the country. The Tories 
will never forgive him for having drawn back, and posterity 
will condemn him for his feebleness. 

Last night it seemed as if everything in the greatness of 
England was dwindled, shrunken, and soiled. The Diplomatic 



126 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Corps separated into groups, the expression of which was 
remarkable. The new Spain, the new Portugal, Belgium 
still in outline, everything which depends on the disorder and 
weakness of the Great Powers, looked at Lord Palmerston 
with great anxiety, which as the certainty grew that he would 
stay in office, changed into an expression of affection and 
triumph. Scorn and hatred contracted every fibre of the 
Princesse de Lieven. The French Ambassador, neither a 
reactionary like the North, nor a propagandist like the 
English, seemed full of care rather than annoyance, more 
sorry than surprised, and had the air of a man who, seeing 
the part of honest man played out, feels that his own is 
finished, and that the time has come for retiring with 
honour. The English themselves seemed humiliated, and 
under no illusions about the appearance of moderation which 
cloaks the feebleness of the present policy. In fact, the 
patch-up of the Ministry will lead more slowly perhaps, but 
by a process of disintegration equally sure, to the ruin which 
would have been the result had Lord Durham and Mr. 
CConnell reached office at a single stride. 

The more one examines Lord Brougham's conduct, the 
more one is struck with the shamelessness of his character. 
The day before yesterday the venerable Lord Harewood 
asked him where we were, and whether the Ministry would 
be reconstructed, and the Chancellor replied, " Where are 
we ? Where do you suppose we can be when at a critical 
moment like this we have to deal with people who take it 
into their heads to talk of their honour ? What have we 
to do with honour at such a time ? " 

If he is not troubled by considerations of his honour, he 
troubles himself equally little about his dignity. Yesterday 
when every one was so much agitated, in spite of the estab- 
lished custom that the Chancellor of England shall attend 
Divine Service at the Temple Church, he thought fit to 
accompany Madame Peter to Mass, and to sit beside this 
lady all the time, courting her not less assiduously than his 
colleague, Lord Palmerston. 

This morning, it is said, they will throw a sop to Lord 



LORD MELBOURNE'S POSITION 127 

Durham, and will make him Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland in 
order to get rid of him. At the same time, the revived 
Ministry will abandon the Coercion Bill. If this be done, 
they will have crowned Mr. O'Connell King of Ireland on 
the anniversary of the taking of the Bastille. July 14 is 
certainly the great day in the modern revolutionary annals. 

I have just met a Conservative Peer, a clever and honour- 
able man who moved me greatly. With tears in his eyes he 
lamented the degradation of his country, the ruin of this 
great and venerable fabric. He foresaw the terrible struggle 
which may immediately arise between the two Houses ; the 
Radical spirit which, whether they like it or not, must 
control the present Ministry, and those which will rapidly 
succeed it. The present Cabinet in everybody's opinion is 
still-born, and people are surprised that so good and intelli- 
gent a man as Lord Melbourne should lend himself to such 
a farce. His sister tried to explain it by saying that one 
must sacrifice one's self for one's country, but Madame de 
Lieven answered, " The country cannot be saved by men who 
dishonour themselves." 

Lord Melbom-ne's friends who know him well say that his 
indolence will very soon get the upper hand, and that with 
a vigorous " damn ! " he will cast off everything. It is, 
indeed, strange to see the most nonchalant man in England 
called to the conduct of affairs at such a critical moment for 
the country. 

London, July 15, 1834. — Lord Grey called and stayed a 
long time. We spoke of the recent crisis as if it were 
already ancient history, and with the same detachment and 
sincerity as of old. He argued feebly, and as it were to 
ease his conscience, against my melancholy forebodings, 
defended his successors collectively and abandoned them 
in detail ; or at least he agreed that their position was 
difficult, and that they cut a sinister figure on their re-entry 
into power. He was silent when I told him that the public 
thought Mr. Littleton was the fool. Lord Althorp the 
weakling, the Chancellor the villain of the piece. He 
shrugged his shoulders when I quoted to him a curious 



128 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

remark made by his brother-in-law, Mr. Ellice, in Lady 
Grey''s drawing-room the evening before, which was as 
follows. Replying to the regret expressed by some one 
at Lord Grey's retirement, " No doubt," he said, " it is a 
pity from many points of view, but it was bound to come. 
He was quite sick of the business, and, at any rate, this will 
have the advantage of giving us more scope, making our 
progress freer and getting us out of the policy of com- 
promise, which is no longer possible." 

Lord Grey said and repeated several times that he 
regretted neither power nor office, and that for several 
months past he had felt enfeebled, without interest in 
anything, and unable to do any business except with 
repugnance and lassitude. He confessed that what had 
made him feel most bitter was the conduct of some of his 
own people, especially Lord Durham, whose violence, 
hauteur, ambition and intrigues had afflicted him the more 
as his daughter had been the first to suffer. He could not 
doubt that Lady Durham's last miscarriage was due to her 
husband's brutality. Pie told me that in spite of the terror 
inspired by his character, it was proposed to give him, in the 
new Cabinet, the place left vacant by Lord Melbourne's 
transfer to the Treasury. Lord Durham's ambition and 
malevolent activity make him so inconvenient to any 
Ministry of which he is not a member, that it seems 
almost better to admit him, and to try in this way to 
neutralise his ill-will. Lord Grey was doubtful, however, 
whether they could make up their minds to do so, he was 
so much detested by every one. 

Lord Grey was sure that he had persuaded Lord Althorp 

to resume his place in the Cabinet ^ in spite of the many 

1 The new Cabinet was constituted as follows : First Lord of the 
Treasury, Lord Melbourne ; Chancellor, Lord Brougham ; Lord President 
of the Council, the Marquess of Lansdowne ; Secretary of State for Foreign 
Affairs, Viscount Palmerston ; Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr. 
Spring Kice ; Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Althorp ; First Lord of 
the Admiralty, Lord Auckland ; Postmaster-General, Marquess of Conyng- 
ham ; Paymaster- General of the Forces, Lord John Russell ; Chief Secre- 
tary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Mr. Littelton. Chancellor of the 
Duchy of Lancaster, Lord Holland ; Home Secretary, Viscount Duncannon ; 
President of the Board of Control, Mr. Charles Grant ; President of the 



BROUGHAM'S COMMENTS 129 

embarrassments of his position. He says that without 
Lord Althorp they could never control the House of 
Commons. He flattered himself also that he has per- 
suaded Lord Lansdowne to stay, but he was not sure of 
this. In fact, being persuaded that the accession to 
power of either the Tories or the Radicals would mean 
revolution, he did all he could with all the energy in 
his power to patch up the miserable Cabinet which has 
just betrayed him. He cannot or will not understand 
that it is Radicalism very thinly veiled just as much 
as if O'Connell or Cobbett were already in office. 

I sat next the Chancellor at the Duchess-Countess of 
Sutherland''s dinner. He was very genial, and invited me 
to drink the toast of the day, the 14th of July. "At 
dessert," I replied, well knowing that his restless mind 
would forget all about it. As a matter of fact, the 
matter quite slipped his memory, I could not, in any case, 
have drunk the toast, for this date, which has already 
such unhappy associations, was certainly not purified 
yesterday. 

The Chancellor asked me if I had seen Lord Grey and if 
I was not struck with his simplicity, which he said was such 
that he could conceal, dissemble and contain nothing. " He 
is a child in candour and thoughtlessness, and he yields to 
the impressions of every moment."" " His is a very noble 
nature," I replied. " Yes, yes, no doubt," said he, " it is 
the nature of a very nice child, which reminds me that 
Mr. Hare, a friend of Mr. Fox as well as of Fitzpatrick and 
Grey, used always to call him ' Baby Grey.' " 

There is no doubt that Don Carlos is gone. Some say 
he embarked on the Thames when he was supposed to be at 
the Opera, and that he will land in Spain at one of the 
points where he is supposed to have a following. Others, 
and among them M. de Miraflores, say that he has gone via 
France ; that M. Calomarde managed the whole thing from 
Paris, instigated by him (Miraflores) in order to entrap 

Board of Trade, Mr. Poulett Thomson ; Secretary of State for War, Mr. 
Ellice ; Lord Privy Seal, Lord Mulgrave. Most of these Ministers had been 
members of the previous Cabinet. 

I 



130 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Don Carlos. Anyhow, he is gone, and whatever be the 
result of his enterprise it cannot be without effect. 

London, July 16, 1834. — Lord Melbourne's successor at 
the Home Office is known ; it is Lord Duncannon, who has 
been transferred from the Woods and Forests, which he 
leaves to Sir John Cam-Hobhouse. The latter is celebrated 
for his friendship with Lord Byron, his Eastern travels, 
and his very liberal opinions, in which, however, he is less 
extreme than Lord Duncannon, who is said to be quite 
violent. This shows that the Cabinet has taken on a more 
decidedly revolutionary character. 

Yesterday it was certain that Don Carlos had left 
London ; to-day his arrival in Spain is equally beyond 
doubt. The Tories say he has got to Navarre after 
having crossed all France ; and this, too, is the version of 
M. de Miraflores, who now perhaps regrets having boasted 
of having deceived the Prince and surrounded him with 
spies who were to deliver him up to the first Spanish out- 
post, while as a matter of fact he has arrived safe and sound 
among his own people, by whom, it is said, he has been 
enthusiastically received. 

The English Ministry yesterday admitted knowing of 
Don Carlos's arrival in Spain, which is believed to have 
taken place on the 9th, but they say that he landed at a 
port in Biscaya attended only by a single Frenchman, and 
that his partisans eagerly welcomed him. It is asserted 
that he only went to Spain because the Northern provinces 
invited him, and threatened that they would declare their 
independence and constitute themselves a Republic if their 
natural leader did not come to them. It is clear that 
there must have been great hopes on the one hand and 
much to lose on the other before a man so timid and so 
incapable as Don Carlos could have been persuaded to run 
such a risk. Moreover, his conversation with the Duke of 
Wellington, which I set down above, shows that his mind 
has for several weeks been occupied with this plan of going 
to Spain. 

London, July 17, 1834. — The friends of the new Minis- 



DON CARLOS IN SPAIN 131 

try are wearing themselves out with assertions that the 
policy of the French alliance will not be altered in any way. 
I believe this is true ; but, in the interests of both countries, 
I should have preferred that the alliance had been founded 
on social order and had not depended for its continuance on 
revolutionary sympathies, which give just cause for anxiety 
to the rest of Europe, and may bring about conflicts in 
which it would be difficult to predict who will be the victor. 

We are more and more decided to return to France 
immediately after Parliament rises, and perhaps even sooner. 

Our more distant future is not yet to be foreseen, but 
Lord Grey's example is another proof that the great figures 
of history should themselves choose the circumstances of 
their retirement, and should not wait till it is imposed upon 
them by the mistakes or the perfidy of others. 

Yesterday we received the two first volumes of a book, 
entitled M. de Talleyrand. I have hardly looked at it, but 
M. de Talleyrand has read it. He says that nothing could 
be more stupid, false, tedious, and ill-imagined, and that he 
would not pay five shillings to have it suppressed. I admit 
that I am less philosophic, and that on occasions of this 
sort — which in a libellous age like ours are so numerous — I 
always remember a saying of La Bruyere's, which seems to 
me remarkably true. " Excessive calumny," he says, " like 
excessive praise, always leaves a trace behind." As a matter 
of fact, the world is divided into the foolish and the 
malevolent, and so there are always people who will believe 
what is improbable, especially about an opponent. 

London, July 18, 1834. — Fatuity in men is a thing 
which spreads from one point to all the rest. M. de Mira- 
flores, who is very pushing with women and rather ridiculous, 
is not less presumptuous in politics. He launches out madly 
and credits himself with successes which are only due to the 
personal passions of the people, and which will perhaps 
hardly be justified by the final result. Thus he proclaims 
himself the inventor of the Quadruple Alliance, the first 
idea of which was suggested to him by Lord Palmerston. 
Now that Don Carlos's reappearance on Spanish territory 



132 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

renews the old difficulties, the little Marquis, propria motu, 
without waiting for orders from his Government, sends a 
perfect olla podrida of a note — a masterpiece of absurdity — 
appealing to France and England to extend the scope of the 
treaty whose object was believed to be accomplished. 

The present circumstances are, however, very difterent. 
Three months ago the two Pretenders, Miguel and Carlos, 
were both penned up in a little corner of Portugal, and 
were thus more particularly the business of England. Now 
Don Carlos is in the north of Spain, near the French 
frontier. Will England carry her revolutionary tendencies 
so far as to allow a French army to enter the Peninsula ? 
Would not that be the signal for Lord Palmerston's resig- 
nation ? On the other hand, can France, after declaring 
against Don Carlos, allow him again to seize a power which 
he would use against her ? It is not that the Government 
of the Queen-Regent, which becomes more and more de- 
crepit, is likely to be a very good neighbour. King Louis 
Philippe finds himself in the dilemma of being faced on the 
other side of the Pyrenees either with the Republican or 
the Legitimist principle. The mezzo termine can only be 
maintained by armed force — in fact, by conquest ! 

This reminds me of a very true remark made by M. de 
Talleyrand which has often come back to my mind during 
the last four years. It was said in the midst of the intoxi- 
cation of the great days of 1830. M. de Talleyrand found 
one of his friends full of hopes and illusions, patriotic 
phrases and emotion, over the scene at the Hotel de Ville, 
the Lafayette accolades, and the popularity of I^ouis 
Philippe. " Monsieur," said he, " what is wanting in all 
this is a trifle of conquest." 

They say that in Spain Martinez de la Rosa is passe, and 
can no longer maintain himself in power ; he will be re- 
placed by Toreno, and will become President of the House 
of Peers. It is also said that the Queen -Regent will create 
him Marquis de TAlliance. 

London, July 19, 1834. — Everything that is happening 
here reminds one of the first scenes of the French Revolu- 



REVOLUTIONARY POLITICS133 

tion. The analogy is striking, the copy a trifle too servile. 
The aristocracy, the minority of the nobility, the tiers etat, 
have each their counterparts in the Tories, the Whigs, and 
the Radicals. The Whigs are blinded by jealousy and 
personal ambition, and will not see that they have any other 
enemies than the Tories ; they see no danger except on that 
side, and in order to keep their rivals out of office they are 
precipitating themselves and all their class into the abyss 
which has been dug for them by the Radicals. 

In talking over all this yesterday M. de Talleyrand quoted 

a remark made to him by the Abbe Sieyes during the 

sittings of the Constituent assembly. " Yes, we get on very 

well now that we are discussing only Liberty ; it is when we 

i^et on to Equality that we shall quarrel. 

At the very lively sitting of the Lords of the day before 
yesterday Ministers very clearly marked out the line they 
mean to follow, and the very men who in Lord Grey''s time, 
less than a fortnight ago, held the repressive clauses of the 
Coercion Bill to be indispensable, announced their abandon- 
ment amid the jeers and scoffs of the House. This was as 
much as to say that the Cabinet in order to survive was 
putting itself at the disposal of the Radical majority in the 
House of Commons, was flouting the opposition of the 
Lords and doing its best to make it of no account. As 
one might expect, the irritation which results from this is 
sharply expressed in the Upper House. All the consolation 
Ministers have is the approbation which O'Connell is good 
enough to bestow upon them. 

London, July 20, 1834. — I much prefer Lord Grey's 
second speech delivered the day before yesterday in the 
Houae of Lords to make clear his position which had been 
misrepresented by both parties, to the first speech in which 
he announced his resignation. The latter I thought was too 
long and too tearful, and entered too minutely into his fanjily 
affairs. The speech of the day before yesterday was more 
laconic, and more closely argued ; its dignity was remarkable 
and, while avoiding any bitterness or personality, the speaker 
exposed the chicanery which had forced him to retire. He 



134 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

remains well disposed to the guiltiest parties and full of 
kindness to his successors as individuals, but he will have 
nothing to do with their policy. His retirement in accordance 
with his own instincts is greeted with the applause of all 
sensible people, the humiliation of those whom he has 
quitted, and the lively displeasure of all those who are the 
real enemies of social order. 

A fortnight ago I confess Lord Grey seemed to me nothing 
more than an old man worn out, shaken to pieces, and 
on the point of being discredited. Since his resignation his 
last political acts have been illumined with a brilliant gleam. 
His fine talent for oratory which he exercised so long in 
opposition has recovered all its energy now that he is out of 
office again, and it may be truly said that Lord Grey who 
has had one fall after another has again reached the foremost 
place now that he has got free of the shameful ambuscades 
by which he has been overpowered. The Cabinet is now 
much afraid of him and would fall low indeed if Lord 
Grey was not compassionate enough to throw over it the 
mantle of his protection. His colleagues, who lately spoke 
of him with more pity than respect, tremble at his words to- 
day. Ah ! how wise it is not to survive one's self in politics, 
and how necessary it is to choose time fitting for retreat. 

A resignation which is both less important and less 
honourable is that of Marshal Soult.^ The reasons for his 
disappearance which is accepted by the King and little 
regretted by the Cabinet, are said to be internal quarrels 
about the question whether Algeria shall have a military or 
a civil governor — about a speech from the Throne, more or 
less detailed, which is to be delivered on July 31 next, but 
above all the terror of the Army estimates which the Marshal 
is said to be afraid to face next session. They say that they 
will offer his place to Marshal Gerard. 

Most fortunately for the Queen Regent of Spain some 
accident seems to have happened which will enable her to 
appear at the opening of the Cortes. She has much need of 

1 Marshal Soult had been President of the Council since 1832. He 
resigned that office in July 1834. 



A MOMENT OF DEPRES SI ON 135 

a piece of good luck to re-establish her position which she has 
so curiously compromised by her frivolity and inconsequence. 

Lord Howick, eldest son of Lord Grey, who has no great 
reputation for either physical or intellectual merit, has just 
resigned his position as Under Secretary of State at the Home 
Office, thus following his father's example and fortunes. This 
is the only instance of fidelity which his father is likely to 
encounter. 

Yesterday I saw Lady Cowper at her own house ; she 
seemed to me depressed and preoccupied. With her in- 
telligence it is difficult for her not to be afflicted by conduct 
in her relatives and friends which is so wanting in credit. She 
pointed out to me not without reason the change which has 
come over London life and society, the care people take to 
avoid each other, the hostile way in which they speak of each 
other, the unrest of every one, their distrust of the present, 
their gloomy forebodings for the future, the general dis- 
organisation, the dispersion of the diplomatic corps, and the 
absence of all government and all authority. This was 
striking language from the sister of the Premier and the 
intimate friend of the Foreign Secretary. 

She tried hard to persuade me that the offence given by 
the latter to the corps diplomatique, and in particular to M. 
de Talleyrand, should not be attributed to any evil intention 
but simply to a certain neglect of forms which may well be 
excused in a man overwhelmed with work. She seemed to 
be especially embarrassed by the thought that M. de Talley- 
rand might take Lord Palmerston's conduct to him as a 
reason for retiring. She used all her wit in fact, all her charm 
and good taste, and she has all these qualities in a high degree, 
to justify her friends and to mitigate the bitterness which 
they have provoked. I left her much pleased with her way 
of putting things but not at all converted on essential points. 

London, July 21, 1834. — The great need in which the 
Ministry find themselves of some speaker in the House 
of Lords less discredited than the Chancellor and cleverer 
than the other Ministers who are peers, has led them to 
make a most extraordinary proposition, characteristic of 



136 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

the absolute want of sense and refinement which distin- 
guishes Holland House. They seriously suggested that 
Lord Grey should remain, not as Prime Minister, but 
as Lord Privy Seal ! He had the good taste to laugh at 
this proposal, taking it as a thing too grotesque to take 
offence at. But how could they have had the impudence to 
make such a request ? 

However, everything is so strange just now that one need 
be surprised at nothing. Here for example is the full story 
of how Lord Melbourne discharged the task committed to 
him by the King of doing his best to form a Coalition 
Ministry. No doubt the thing was impossible ; still, Lord 
Melbourne chose a curious way of bringing it about. He 
wrote on behalf of the King to the Duke of Wellington and 
to Sir Robert Peel telling them of the commission with which 
he had been entrusted, and adding that in order to save 
them trouble he would send them a copy of the letter which 
he had just written to His Majesty showing how he himself 
regarded the question. This letter contained nothing but a 
strong argument against any attempt at agreement with the 
other side and an enumeration of all the difficulties which 
made coalition impossible. The Duke of Wellington and 
Sir Robert Peel replied by acknowledging his letter and 
thanking him respectfully for the communication made to 
them on behalf of the King. The King was surprised that 
these gentlemen did not reply in greater detail and sent to 
ask for their observations. They answered : " They are all 
contained in Lord Melbourne''s letter to His Majesty, we 
have nothing to add." Thus the curious negotiation 
terminated. 

London, July 22, 1834. — The phase of calm and pros- 
perity through which the French Government seemed again 
to be passing seems to be rather disturbed by the dissen- 
sions of the Ministers among themselves which have been 
caused by the resignation of Marshal Soult. It appears 
that people are anxious and divided in opinion on the 
length and the greater or less importance of the short 
session announced for July 31. It comes at an inconvenient 



EUROPEAN POLITICS 137 

time for discussing events in the Peninsula, and the flood of 
oratory will probably embarrass the Government. Were 
Don Carlos to prevail we should have a personal enemy on 
our frontiers ; if the Queen-Regent triumphs, which she can 
only do by throwing herself more and more into the " move- 
ment,"" we shall have a revolutionary and anarchist neighbour. 
This could not be indifferent to our Government, which 
already has only too much of the same sort of thing to 
contend with. It seems, moreover, that the two armies 
were too near each other not to come to blows, and the first 
decisive success of either side will probably settle the sub- 
sequent course of the conflict. Thus the issue is awaited 
with great and anxious curiosity. 

Now that the quarrel is no longer being fought out in 
Portugal, but in Spain, the English are drawing out of it, 
and will give only slight support to their dear Miraflores. 
The burden of the business is reserved for France, and it 
bristles with difficulties. 

In the City yesterday news was spread of the death of 
the Queen-Regent. Some said she had been poisoned ; some 
that she had died of the results of the accident which had 
led to her retirement. The news is probably false, but in a 
country like Spain, in time of civil war, religious fanaticism, 
family jealousy and quarrels run riot ; evil passions of all 
sorts are let loose, and no crime is more improbable than 
the daily spectacle of folly and disorder. 

Mr. Stanley, who replaces Lord Howick as Under-Secre- 
tary of State at the Home Office, is quite different from the 
Mr. Stanley who was lately in office. He is a kind of 
would-be dandy, and a complete Radical of the worst and 
lowest sort. He was for a time private secretary to Lord 
Durham. 

The latter has contemptuously refused the embassy at 
Paris, which, as he well knew, was only offered to him 
because he is not wanted here. He replied that he would 
accept no place from a Cabinet which would not receive him 
as one of themselves. Lord CarHsle has resigned the Privy 
Seal, 



138 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

London^ July 24, 1834. — It was generally said yesterday 
that the Infanta Maria Princess of Portugal and wife of 
Don Carlos, has also secretly left England to follow her 
husband to Spain, leaving her children here with her sister 
the Duchess of Beira. Princess Maria is said to be possessed 
of much courage and decision of character. Probably she 
thinks that she has more than her husband, and that her 
presence will inspire the Pretender with all the energy which 
he needs in his difficult situation. All these Portuguese 
Princesses are demons either in politics or in love, and 
sometimes in both. One of them, married to a Marquis de 
Louie, had an adventure with a British naval officer, which 
caused much scandal at Lisbon. M. de Louie was furious 
and sent away his wife, keeping the children. Dom Pedro 
required his brother-in-law to take her back, but I did not 
hear how the matter ended. 

Princess Isabella also caused some talk while she was Regent, 
and Dom Miguel, it is said, tried to give her poison in a 
vegetable soup. She is now at Lisbon, reunited to the rest 
of her family, or, rather, her relatives, for love and hate are 
alike so perverse in the House of Braganza that they can 
hardl}^ be said to respect in any way the natural family ties. 

A propos of Pretenders and curious manners, LordBurghersh 
yesterday told me a great deal about the Countess of Albany, 
whom he knew at Florence. There she had as cavaliere servente 
M. Fabre, the painter, who had lived with her since the 
death of Alfieri. They used to walk out alone, with only 
M. rabre''s big dog to keep them company. They also 
dined alone. From eight to eleven the Countess received 
all Florence. While this was going on M. Fabre retired to a 
mistress of an inferior order. At eleven he reappeared at 
the Countess''s, and his arrival was the signal for the whole 
company to disperse in order that they might sup tete-a-tete. 
The one was never asked out without the other ; this is the 
etiquette in Italy, and is carried to a naive extreme. Here 
is an example : Lord Burghersh, who was British Minister 
at Florence, opened his house with a great ball, to which he 
thought that he had invited every one of importance. How- 



FLORENTINE MANNERS 139 

ever, not being as yet very well up in the manners and 
customs of society, he forgot to invite a gentleman who was 
attached to a certain fair lady. On the morning of the ball 
my lord's steward came to him with an open letter which he 
had just received, and which he asked his master to read. 
Lord Burghersh read as follows : " Sapete, caro Matteo, che 
soiio servita da il Cavaliere so-and-so ; he is not invited to 
Lord Burghersh's, which, as you will understand, makes it 
impossible for me to go to his ball ; please correct this mistake." 
The mistake was, in fact, corrected, and Lord Burghersh 
never forgot the lesson. " Sapete " to a servant, and " sono 
servita "" are expressions of a naivete which is almost beyond 
belief, yet quite according to Italian manners. But, to 
return to the Countess of Albany and M. Fabre, her 
ladyship having died, M. Fabre painted a portrait of the dog, 
the companion of their walks, had it engraved, and sent a 
proof to each of the Countess's friends with the following 
inscription : " To the friends of the Countess of Albany 
from M. Fabre's dog." 

London, Jidy 25, 1834, — The Ministry grows very bitter 
against Lord Grey, being incensed at his dignified retirement 
and his just disdain of the preposterous proposal of the 
Privy Seal. He is called weak, incapable and capricious, 
and insult is added to perfidy. The thin veil with which 
this treacherous conduct is covered does not conceal it 
sufficiently to prevent Lord Grey himself from beginning to 
be embittered by it. I know that he has said that if his 
successors went another step in the direction of revolution 
he would not only cease to vote for them but openly declare 
against them. Decidedly he has returned to his better 
instincts, and I believe he will have the courage to purge 
himself, so far as that is possible, of the imputation of having 
led England along a road to ruin. 

Lord John Russell the mildest, the wittiest, and the most 
honourable of Jacobins, the most simple minded and the 
most candid of revolutionaries, the most agreeable, but also 
by the very reason of his virtue, the most dangerous of 
Ministers, was telling me yesterday that some months ago he 



140 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

had a violent argument with Lord Grey about a measure on 
which they did not agree. On this occasion, Lord Grey 
declared to him that he would never consent to put his 
name to a revolutionary measure. " After Reform," added 
Lord John in his mild little way, " this showed great 
weakness and want of logic." " You would be right," I 
replied, " if Lord Grey, when he allowed you to pass the 
Reform Bill, had foreseen all the consequences ; but you 
will agree with me that he did not foresee them, and that 
you took good care not to point them out to him in time." 
Lord John laughed and said very charmingly, " You don't 
expect me to confess, do you ? " If all the revolutionaries 
were of the type of Cobbett and CConnell, or of the ill-bred 
and cynical nature of Lord Brougham, it would be easier to 
be on one's guard. But in the witty, fragile figure of the 
Duke of Bedford's son how could one suspect that there lurks 
so much perversity of judgment, how could one imagine that 
a body to all appearance so frail and exhausted could be 
capable of such persistence in thought and such violence in 
action ? 

London^ July 29, 1834. — An expedition to Woburn 
Abbey has interrupted this jom-nal. This, the third visit 
which I have paid to this splendid place, was much pleasanter 
to me personally than the two others, but it has furnished 
me with nothing to add to my previous descriptions of it. 
Nothing happened there at all out of the ordinary course 
of English country-house life. The hospitality dispensed 
is on a great and generous scale with a little more pomp and 
ceremony than one wants in country life, at least according 
to Continental ideas. 

A party at Woburn in particular is as carefully arranged 
as a London dinner-party. Twenty or thirty persons who 
know each other, but not familiarly, are invited to be 
together for two or three days. The hosts go to their 
house for the special purpose of receiving their guests, and 
return to town after their departure. They have thus 
themselves the air of being on a visit. However, when all 
is said and done, there is so much to see and admire ; the 



WOBURN AGAIN 141 

Duke of Bedford is so charming, such a perfect embodiment 
of the grand seigneur ; the Duchess is so attentive, that it 
is impossible not to carry away with one the most pleasing 
impressions. My own impression was particularly so, and 
this in spite of the rather melancholy cloud on the coun- 
tenances of some of the leading figures. Lord Grey, for 
instance, has collapsed in a rather startling way ; he seems ill 
and worn out, and takes no trouble to conceal his attitude, 
which is becoming more and more bitter. The most volun- 
tary of abdications are always followed by regrets ; one may 
die of overwork ; one flickers out when one is shelved. It is 
so difficult to be satisfied both with one's self and with others. 

Madame de Lieven, also, despite all her efforts, was 
fainting under the burden of saying good-bye, of going 
away and staying away. She is really very unhappy, and 
I am very sorry for her. This is the more the case as no 
person of ability has ever found less resources within herself 
than she. She always relies for help on her surroundings. 
She must have the stir of news and conversation, and when 
she is alone there is nothing left for her to do but to go to 
sleep. She weeps to have to quit England ; she fears 
St. Petersburg, but what she feels most is the journey — a 
week of solitude ! Her husband and children don't count ! 
She will stay a day at Hamburg solely for the purpose of 
exchanging a few words with new people. She seized with 
avidity the idea of arranging that the Baron and Baroness 
de Talleyrand should visit her, though she has never seen 
them and does not know whether they will amuse her. She 
was obviously consoled when she managed to persuade Lord 
Alvanley to go on his way to Carlsbad by Hamburg in the 
same packet as herself, and this though Lord Alvanley 
warned her that sea-sickness made him very bad company. 
For her, indeed, ennui is like a conscience ; her one idea is 
to fly from herself. 

When we got back to London we heard of the Madrid 
massacres — always the same horrible fable of the poisoned 
wells, which infuriates popular ignorance wherever there is 
an epidemic of cholera, and produces mad atrocities. The 



142 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

monks have been the victims on this occasion, and the 
convents have been pillaged in spite of religious fanaticism. 
The hand of authority was weak and impotent : the 
Government had retired to St. Ildephonse, terrified and 
irresolute, not knowing whether in these melancholy circum- 
stances of plague, riot and civil war, the Cortes should be 
summoned or prorogued, or, if they should be summoned, to 
what place or under whose auspices ! It is impossible to 
imagine a concourse of circumstances more melancholy in 
themselves, more fatal for Spain, or more unpleasing neigh- 
bours for France. 

Louis Philippe is very unwilling to interfere openly and 
directly in the destinies of Spain. He has even showed 
this unwillingness so clearly, that the Ambassadors at Paris 
have divined his secret and are taking great advantage of it. 
The attitude of the Ministry, which has to reckon more 
directly with the national vanity and susceptibility, is much 
less decided. This is the situation in which the Chambers 
Avill meet the day after to-morrow. 

One of the chief ostensible motives for Marshal Soulfs 
retirement was his insistence on the appointment of a 
soldier to govern Algiers in opposition to the rest of the 
Cabinet which demanded that the Governor should be a 
civilian. It appears that Marshal Gerard took the same 
line as his predecessor, and that his friendship with the 
King has enabled him to carry his point ; anyhow, General 
Drouet d'Erlou has just been appointed to the post. 

London, July 31, 1834. — Last year, when M. de 
Talleyrand left for the Continent, the King of England 
said to him, " When are you coming back ? " The year 
before he had said, " I have told my Ambassador at Paris 
to say to your Government that I particularly wish to have 
you here." This year he says, " When are you going ? " I 
think one can find in these varying expressions a trace of 
Palmerstonian influence. 

Yesterday at the King's levee Lord Mulgrave received 
the Privy Seal which Lord Carlisle has resigned. 

In our drawing-room the conversation turned on the talent 



A ROYAL GHOST STORY 143 

of certain people for telling ghost stories. This reminded me 
of the interest with which two years ago at Kew I heard 
from the Duchess of Cumberland the story of an apparition 
seen by herself, the remembrance of which seemed to cause her 
much emotion. The impression she produced on us was the 
deeper as the hour was late and a terrifying thimderstorm was 
raging outside the house. 

The story is as follows. The Duchess of Cumberland, 
then Princess Louise of Prussia, had gone to visit her mother's 
relatives at Darmstadt. She was lodged in a state apart- 
ment in a part of the castle which was rarely used, the 
furniture of which, though magnificent, had not been changed 
for three generations. Wearied with her journey she quickly 
fell asleep but all the same soon felt on her face a breath 
which awakened her. She opened her eyes and saw the face 
of an old lady who was leaning over her own face. Terrified 
by the sight she immediately drew the bed-clothes over her eyes 
and remained motionless for several moments. Want of air, 
however, made her change her position and impelled by 
curiosity she again opened her eyes and saw the same venerable 
face, pale and gentle, still staring at her. She then screamed 
loudly and the nurse of Prince Frederick of Prussia who slept 
with the child in the neighbouring room, the door of 
communication being open, rushed in and, finding her mistress 
bathed in a cold sweat, remained with her for the rest of 
the night. Next day the Princess related what had happened, 
and urgently requested that her room might be changed, 
which was done. No one was surprised for it was said in the 
family that whenever any descendant of the old Duchess of 
Darmstadt, who had occupied this apartment, slept there, 
this venerable ancestress would come and pay her posterity 
a visit. The Duke of Weimar and several other princes were 
cited as examples proving the truth of this story. Many 
years later the Duchess of Cumberland, then Princess Solms, 
and established at Frankfort, was invited by her cousin, the 

1 Kew is situated on the right bank of the Thames. The palace was for 
some time the residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland before 
their accession to the Throne of Hanover. There are an Observatory and 
a Botanical Garden at Kew, which were founded by George III. 



144 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Grand Duke of Hesse Darmstadt, to a great festivity which 
he was preparing. The Princess went, intending to return 
to Frankfort the same night. Supper over she went to a 
room where her travelling dress had been laid out and was 
followed by the young Grand Duchess then recently married. 
The latter asked the Princess Solms whether the story of the 
ghost was true and asked that it might be told her in detail. 
She wished to discover whether the impression left had been 
strong enough to make the Princess remember the features 
of their venerable ancestress. The Princess was sure that it 
was so. " Very well," said the Grand Duchess " her portrait 
is in this very room with two others of the same period. 
Take the light and tell me which you think represents the 
spectre, I shall see if you are right." The Princess with some 
repugnance approached the portraits and had just recognised 
that of the old grandmother when the picture and its frame 
crashed to the ground with a terrible noise and, had the 
ladies not immediately fled, they would have been crushed by 
its weight. 

I do not say that this story is particularly good in itself. 
I only know that it made a deep impression on me because 
it was very well told, and because, when in this style of 
narrative you hear some one say " I saw, I heard," it is 
impossible not to treat the matter seriously. The Duchess 
was perfectly serious and her emotion strong, so that I have 
never doubted the truth of what she told us. 

The Duchess of Cumberland's absence has left, for me at 
least, a gap which is very noticeable in London. She is 
clever and well educated, her manners are most refined and 
very queenly, she is graceful and kindly and still beautiful, 
especially in figure. Her kindness to me has been enhanced 
by her again lately bestowing it on my second son. In fact, 
whatever judgment be passed on her character, which is not 
equally admired by everybody, it is impossible not to 
recognise that she possesses great qualities and not to be 
touched by her great afiliction — the infirmity of her son 
Prince George. He is an amiable, good-looking youth, who 
at fifteen after terrible suffering has lost his sight. He is a 



A BLIND PRINCE 145 

fit object at once of pity and admiration ; his resignation is 
angelic, he shows no impatience, no regrets, no ill temper, 
and he hides his sadness from his mother. He sustains the 
courage of his attendants by his own, and, young as he is, he 
already inspires all the respect due to a great character. 
His favourite occupation is improvising on the piano, and his 
favourite melodies are sad and serious ; but when he recognises 
his mother's step he changes to a gay and animated theme to 
make her think he is happy. So long as it was hoped that 
remedies might check the inflammation and restore him his 
sight his education was suspended. After a time, however, his 
tutor — an excellent man — became convinced that his educa- 
tion was suffering and his sight not profiting by this and he 
proposed that the young Prince should resume the course of his 
studies and continue them as far as possible without the aid of 
sight, on a plan submitted by him. Prince George was silent 
for a time, then said with a serious air, " Yes sir, you are 
right, I shall follow your advice for I feel that as one door is 
being closed for me I must try all the harder to open another." 

London, August 1, 1834. — What a melancholy dinner 
we had last night at Lord Palmerston's ! It was a farewell 
party for the Princesse de Lieven. She went against her 
will, we simply for her sake. Lady Cowper was making 
visible efforts to appear at ease. Lady Holland wanted 
explanations of Lord Palmerston''s latest offences against M. de 
Talleyrand ; every one obviously felt that our approaching 
departure will be as final as that of the unfortunate Princess. 
M. de Blilow was pale and embarrassed and looked like a 
pickpocket caught in the act. Poor Dedel resembled an 
orphan at the funeral of both his parents. Lord Melbourne 
with his coarse Norman farmer style of build looked like 
anything rather than a Prime Minister. 

The defeat which the Ministry purposely incurred yesterday 
in the House of Commons by letting the Radicals beat them 
on the question of the Irish Church did not make them 
look very happy, and in fact there was a melancholy sense of 
embarrassment in everything and on everybody, which 
oppressed me excessively. 



146 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

I had not the courage this morning to go and say good- 
bye for the last time to poor Madame de Lieven, who is half 
dead with weariness and emotion. It was really kinder not to 
increase her agitation. I am distressed at her departure as 
it separates me from a personage of real distinction without 
much hope of seeing her again ; but it also brings home to 
me in the most painful manner the changes which have taken 
place here during the last four years, and which have done so 
much to dim the brilliancy and splendour of England. What 
losses the Corps Diplomatique has suffered ! Kind and gentle 
M. Falk with all his subtlety, his learning, and his wit, 
is replaced, first by the cross-grained M. de Zuylen, and now 
by the excellent but insignificant Dedel. Madame Falk's 
frank and simple high spirits are also much missed. M. and 
Madame de Zea were more intelligent by far than the 
liliputian Miraflores, M. and Madame de Miinster, were in 
every way much superior to the Omptedas. I can find no 
one to replace the excellent Madame de Biilow, and I believe 
that her absence has left her husband's evil tendencies far too 
much without the check which his wife's simple and honest 
nature imposed. Esterhazy is universally regretted. His 
perfect good-humour, the certainty of his social touch, the 
ease of his character, the magnificence of his way of life, the 
subtlety of his wit, the correctness of his judgment, and the 
kindness of his heart made him much beloved here, and not 
likely to be forgotten. Wessenberg has also left a vacant 
place which has not been filled. The departure of the 
Lievens enlarges the social breach, and our own will com- 
plete the ruin. The neutral ground afforded by diplomatic 
households is especially valuable in a country divided 
by party spirit, in which, politics having broken so many 
other ties, society can no long hold together in the old 
way. 

We learned yesterday by telegraph that the Queen Regent 
of Spain had opened the Cortes in person at Madrid on the 
24 th ; that order was restored in the city ; that the cholera 
was diminishing a little ; and that Don Carlos was retiring 
further and further towards the French frontier. 



SPANISH AFFAIRS 147 

London^ August 3, 1834. — Nothing, I think, shows more 
clearly the state into which the home policy of the English 
Government has fallen than a remark made to me yesterday 
by Lord Sefton. " Do you know," he said, " that, in spite of 
my admiration for Lord Grey, I think that we have come to 
a point at which it is not only fortunate for himself but 
a very good thing for the country that he has retired ? 
He would never have consented to the slightest courtesy 
being shown to O'Connell and his friends, and yet we 
have no alternative but to satisfy them. It is urgently 
necessary to conciliate them by condescensions against which 
Lord Grey would have rebelled, and which are less repulsive 
to his successors, from my friend the Chancellor down- 
wards. It is a good thing, you see, that we have a 
Government composed of people who have no objection to 
condescend as much as may be necessary ! '" 

There seems to be general approval of the speech made 
by the Queen of Spain. In order to appreciate it properly 
one must know the condition of the country better than I 
do. The best wish I can send her Majesty is that she may 
not again have to deliver such a long one, and that the 
circumstances of her future speeches may be very different. 
They say that she spoke very gracefully. She deserves 
praise for having recovered her nerve, and run the risk of 
infection in coming back to address the Cortes. 

The cholera is carrying off many people at Madrid. The 
sanitary arrangements are bad ; the heat is torrid, and 
cleanliness is unknown. Twice as many women as men fall 
victims to the disease. The mother of Madame de Mira- 
flores is among those who have succumbed. 

Don Carlos, it appears, is on the point of recrossing the 
frontier. It is said that he is so close to it that his outposts 
and the French outposts are in sight of each other. 

I don't know what ill wind is blowing in Paris, but 1 
incline to think that all is not so quiet there as it seems. 
Here is an extract from a letter from Bertin de Veaux on this 
subject : "It seems that you and the Prince de Talley- 
rand are fated never to come to Paris except during a 



148 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Ministerial crisis, for our Ministry is no steadier than that 
in London. Here, moreover, people have made up their 
minds to live from hand to mouth and, except the actors, no 
one pays any attention to the play. However, when you do 
come your salon will soon be full, and it is before you and 
the Prince that all our actors, great and small, will 
come and try their ' poses,' as they call them nowadays.*" 

In another letter there is a great deal about the dangers 
of to-day and to-morrow, of the obvious aspirations of some 
people, of under-currents and cross-currents, of the cabals, 
and the unmeasured ambition of certain small men, and the 
ill-temper and suUenness of the rest. A propos of the 
cruel disappointments experienced by M. Decazes, it is added : 
" Poor M. Decazes may strike the earth all round him as loudly 
as he likes ; he can make nothing emerge. It is said that 
he now wants Semonville's place, and that he has perhaps 
some chance of getting it as Semonville is a convenient 
person to disoblige, being formidable to nobody. I do 
not at all like this habit of burying people before they 
are dead, and I thought that they had had enough of it since 
their attempt on MM. de Marbois and Gaete, which was not 
a success with the public. One is quite delighted when one 
comes home to find that one has not been robbed of any- 
thing." 

London, August 4, 1834. — It seems certain that on the 
eve of the opening of the Cortes, a very extensive Republican 
conspiracy was discovered, in which many important persons 
were concerned. Palafox and Romero have been arrested ; 
they say that their supporters were chiefly in Galicia. In 
Aragon and Catalonia the Carlists are the dominating 
faction, and are making themselves troublesome. Thus 
there are two flags under which Spain divides and arrays 
herself. 

When Mr. Backhouse went to see Don Carlos in the 
Donegal the latter said that he had heard of the treaty of 
Quadruple Alliance, but wished to see the text. Having 
read it, he returned it to Mr. Backhouse without remark but 
with an ironical smile, which became a disdainful laugh when 



GOVERNMENT DIFFICULTIES 149 

Mr. Backhouse said to him that he beheved the Prince to be 
mistaken about the strength of his party in Spain. Except 
for this the Prince was polite, gentle, and even kindly. 

Parliament was to have risen on the 12th, and most 
members hoped to leave London even earlier. But the day 
before yesterday the Duke of Wellington called a meeting of 
his supporters at his house, and begged them to remain at 
their posts in the interest of the safety of the country, and 
to use their majority, which is admitted to be formidable, 
on the dissenting question, to strike another blow for the 
Church on the debate on the remaining measures which have 
still to be discussed. There is some reason to fear that the 
Irish Protestant clergy will be left without means of sub- 
sistence if CConnell's Tithes Bill is rejected, and this makes 
it rather doubtful what course the Lords will take. The 
Bishops, however, seem to think that the Bill would be just as 
bad for them as even the absence of any financial provision. It 
is certain that this week marks the crisis of the affair : if the 
Bill is thrown out there will be a collision between the two 
Houses. Will the Ministry resign ? Or will it demand 
carte blanche of the King ? Will this be a further step in 
the direction of revolution ? Or will they be satisfied, as 
the Chancellor said yesterday, to leave the Irish clergy to die 
of hunger .? Lord Grey said that it would not be so easy to 
leave them to die of hunger, as there was a law which 
enacted that their subsistence must be provided for, whether 
by tithes or otherwise. As to a creation of Peers, it was 
observed that it would be necessary to create a hundred 
and fifty, and on this Lord Grey said that two hundred 
would not be enough, because all the old Peerage, and him- 
self at their head, would revolt against any Government 
mad and wicked enough to proceed to such an extremity. 
Besides, it remained to be seen whether the King would 
consent. The King is ill, depressed and exhausted ; he 
admits as much himself, and especially his mental pre- 
occupation, which he does not attempt to conceal. He is 
obviously suffering from extreme oppression, and from great 
weakness of one eye, which he can hardly open. 



150 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

This is what passed about the Garter vacant by the death 
of Lord Bathurst. The King sent it to Lord Melbourne 
as his Prime Minister. The latter respectfully declined it 
and begged that His Majesty would bestow it on the 
recipient Lord Grey would have chosen, that is to say, on 
the Duke of Grafton. The King did in fact send it to the 
Duke, but he, deeply affected by the death of his favourite 
son, and moreover feeling himself aged and averse from the 
world, begged His Majesty to give it to some one who would 
be able to show it more often, and who would be more active 
in his service. It is thought that it will go to the Duke of 
Norfolk, but he is a Catholic, and it would be the first 
instance of such a favour being conferred on a dissenter. 

A heavy blow has just fallen on the Duke of Wellington 
in the midst of the heavy cares which devolve on him as 
Leader of the Opposition. Mrs. Arbuthnot, a clever and 
sensible woman, who was both discreet and devoted and the 
Duke's faithful friend, has just been carried oif by a few days 
violent illness. She was in all the flower of her age, and 
hitherto her health had been robust. The Duke has thus 
lost in one week his old friend Lord Bathurst, and Mrs. 
Arbuthnot his confidante, his consolation, his home ! Deaths 
and departures make London very dismal just now — every one 
is going about discomfited and with long faces. People are 
terrified at the run of bad luck in which every day brings 
forth some new catastrophe. 

London, Atigust 5, 1834. — It is certain that Dom Miguel 
has signed his protest. The Duke of Alcudia and M. de 
Lavradio are with him ; they are all preparing to join Don 
Carlos whenever he gains the slightest success. 

Lady Holland and Lady Cowper are doing all in their 
power to secure that M. de Talleyrand and Lord Palmerston 
part on good terms. I can understand that the friends of 
the latter should desire this. It is important to them that 
there should not be occasion to blame Lord Palmerston's 
personal incivility for the total dispersion of the more im- 
portant part of the Corps diplomatique, and that the evil 
reputation of the English Ministry all over Europe should 



PALMERSTON'S INCIVILITY 151 

not be emphasised by what M. de Talleyrand says of it at 
Paris. They will succeed in securing an amicable parting 
without any overt rupture, but it is impossible that a fer- 
ment which has been going on so long should not issue in 
ill-feeling, embarrassment and rancour, M. de Talleyrand 
could never forget that he has been uncivilly treated by a 
man younger and less capable than himself. Lord Palmer- 
ston, not impertinent in form, would take every opportunity 
of being so in fact, and this would be all the easier as the 
age and indolence of M. de Talleyrand would make it 
every day more easy to lead him into some false step. 
Nothing, therefore, would be more ill-advised than to come 
back, and in spite of all the pleasant and gratifying memories 
which attach me to England, I confess that I shall be 
relieved on M. de Talleyrand's account when he is out] of 
public life. 

London, August 6, 1834. — It is confirmed that the Duke 
of Norfolk is to have the Garter. 

Spain is asking for additional articles in the Treaty of 
April 22 called the " Quadruple Alliance." She asks for 
British cruisers on the coast of Biscaya, for a Portuguese 
army corps, for French money and munitions of war and for 
troops on the French frontier. She asks all her allies for 
the moral support of a declaration in favour of the Regency, 
extending and explaining more fully the object of the first 
treaty. 

The prolonged uncertainty and ignorance regarding 
RodiPs movements are causing anxiety about his success, and 
to the resulting alarm is attributed the fall on the Stock 
Exchange at Paris. Ugly catastrophes have occurred as the 
result of the particular misfortunes of the moment. The 
Rothschilds who had flooded Europe with Spanish stock, 
and who are still encumbered with a good deal themselves, 
are very cross and extremely anxious. 

Some clever people are saying that the Queen Regent's 
most serious danger does not come from Don Carlos, but 
from what is called the party of the " movement." One is 
much disposed to accept this view when one thinks of the 



152 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

horrible remark made by Romero Alpuende, who called the 
massacres at Madrid on July 17 "a slight measure of 
patriotic relief." 

London, August 8, 1834. — Rodil, it seems clear, has 
gained a very distinct success all along the line of the 
Carlists. In a regular war this might end the struggle, but 
in a civil conflict ordinary rules do not apply, and a party 
which seems annihilated to-day comes to life again to- 
morrow, 

M. de Talleyrand took leave of the King the day before 
yesterday. The King was very gracious to him and to me, 
regretting that in the absence of the Queen his bachelor 
establishment prevented him from asking me to Windsor, 
where he would have been charmed to see me before I left. 
This is more courteous than correct, for the Princess 
Augusta is doing the honours of the Castle ; ladies have 
been invited, among others Lady Grey and her daughter. 
But it is nicely put and in Society that is all one has a right 
to ask. 

The King talked much about about the seriousness of 
the situation and observed that the cards were well shuffled, 
on which M. de Talleyrand replied, " for our part, sir, we 
play with our cards on Your Majesty's table." 

London, August 9, 1834. — I know nothing more em- 
barrassing for a host than obvious mutual hostility at close 
quarters among his guests. Yesterday we thought we had 
escaped the Chancellor, but he came at dessert and prolonged 
our dinner, eating much at his ease in his usual dirty 
manner. As he ate he talked, helping himself to all subjects, 
as he did to all the dishes, without stopping and without 
restraint. We suffered agonies, especially on account of 
Lord and Lady Grey, and, in fact, he put us all out com- 
pletely, and increased, if possible, the contempt and loathing 
that I feel for him. 

Lord John Russell, who was dining with us, is also a little 
Radical, but at least he has his father's good taste and good 
breeding. 

Speaking of popularity and of the trouble which great 



A WHIG MAGNATE 158 

people should take for the less exalted classes of Society, Lord 
John told me yesterday that nothing could overcome the 
Duke of Bedford's hatred of the lesser people with whom he 
is surrounded. One day his steward suggested that some of 
them should be asked to dinner and the Duke refused. The 
man of business said, " But Your Grace, this civility will 
perhaps save you fifteen thousand pounds at next election." 
" Perhaps," replied the Duke, " but if by spending money I 
can save myself boredom and annoyance I consider it well 
spent. I will pay the fifteen thousand pounds, but I will not 
give the dinner." Yet the Duke of Bedford is very free 
handed, very charitable, and undertakes works on a consider- 
able scale solely in order to give employment to the poor. 
However, he is not popular, and the wounded vanity of the 
middle classes has more weight than the gratitude of the 
indigent whose necessities he has relieved. 

Lord and Lady Grey and their family, having, as they 
said, need of change of scene and surroundings, wanted to 
come and pay us a visit in France. But the sort of 
triumphal progress which would have awaited Lord Grey 
there struck terror into the present Ministry, who would 
have shrunk from the comparison of the honour done to 
their victim and the contempt under which they themselves 
languish. So Lord Grey was persuaded that if he went to 
France now it would look as if he went on purpose to secure 
an ovation, which would be an improper thing to do. Thus 
we shall not have the pleasure of seeing him, which I regret 
on his account, as I fear that in his present irritable and 
painful mood he may suffer real harm from solitude and 
ennui, and his wife also, for she is even more deeply 
wounded than he is himself. Lord Grey has worn himself 
out, morally and physically, with his labours. How much 
better it would have been if he had resigned six weeks 
sooner — at the same time as the four really distinguished 
and honourable members of the Cabinet ? He would then 
have marched out with all the honours of war instead of 
laying down his arms ! 

Every one is bitten with the taste for travel, and the 



154 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Lord Chancellor, like the rest, had planned a holiday to be 
spent in a picturesque and amorous pilgrimage on the banks 
of the Rhine in the train of Mrs. Peter. But it seems from 
what he told me yesterday himself that the King would not 
allow him. Since Lord Clarendon"'s time no Chancellor of 
England has quitted the country, and the precedent is not a 
happy one, for Lord Clarendon only went on his travels 
because his master was in flight. Others say that the King 
has nothing to do with the change in Lord Brougham's 
plans, but that the necessity of paying fourteen hundred 
pounds out of his salary to arrange for a Commission 
of the Seals in his absence is the real reason why he is not 
going. 

London, August 11, 1834. — Lord Palmerston has given 
us a farewell dinner. This is in his line ; he loves to speed 
the parting guest. But he did not take much trouble about 
it. Besides several diplomatists of the second order there 
was no one there but Mrs. Peter — not a single person of 
eminence in English Society, no one of those who are known 
to be our friends. It was done as a duty, or, perhaps as an 
atonement — nothing more. Perhaps he hates the Lievens 
more than he does us, but he intends to advertise equally 
his contempt for both. 

A propos of the Flahauts, he put in an attempt at an 
explanation of his never accepting a single one of our invita- 
tions. On this subject, half laughingly and half bitterly, 
I told him a few home-truths, which went off very well. 
There were many hints and double meanings and sly digs in 
our conversation, which reminded me of those that take place 
at the Opera ball, where the thought is all the freer for the 
appearance being veiled and dissimulated. I amused myself 
by frightening the " young man," as Madame de Lieven called 
him. He thought it necessary to pretend to be most 
desirous of our prompt return ; I took him at his word, and 
said that I went further, and that in my opinion M. de 
Talleyrand should not go away at all. He then looked 
very foolish and went off on the other tack, saying that a 
change of air was necessary and, in fact, indispensable ; that 



DISORGANISATION OF SPAIN 155 

one required refreshment, both physical and mental — in 
short, all he wanted was to see the last of us. 

I looked at him closely yesterday. It is seldom that a 
man has a face so expressive of his character. The eyes are 
hard and pale, the nose turned up and impertinent. His smile 
is bitter, his laugh forced. There is no dignity, or frankness, 
or correctness either in his features or his build. His con- 
versation is dry, but, I confess, not wanting in wit. He has 
on him a stamp of obstinacy, arrogance, and treachery, which 
I believe to be an exact reflection of his real character. 

London, August 12, 1834. — In spite of the slow progress 
made by Don Carlos it is difficult to be quite happy about 
the state of Spain. General Alava, who has gone back 
there after many years of exile, seems struck with the 
demoralisation and confusion which he sees. All natural 
bonds are broken by party spirit — the ferocity and violence 
of these Southern fanatics, no longer directed against the 
foreigner, have recoiled cruelly on themselves. Republicanism 
is gaining everywhere where religion is not on the side of 
the Legitimist party. It appears with all the tawdry 
emotion of revolutionary eloquence in the address of the 
Procuradores to the Queen-Regent. Already since the 
opening of the Cortes the Ministry is at variance with 
the Second Chamber, and one cannot think how a Regency 
with such a feeble Government can possibly overcome so 
many adverse circumstances. 

I lately saw, at Lord Palmerston's, a portrait of little 
Queen Isabella II., sent by the Regent to his Lordship. To 
judge by this picture, she is not at all a pretty child. She 
seems to have insignificant eyes and her father's wicked 
mouth ; and, on the whole, is an ugly little Princess. It is 
a pity ; women destined to sit on a throne, especially a dis- 
puted one, find it a dangerous thing not to be beautiful. 

The species of bankruptcy proclaimed by M, de Toreno, 
which has proved so fatal to a horde of small rentiers at 
Paris, is making the little Queen's cause unpopular there. 
It seems to me that this is in a way fortunate ; for if vanity 
and the furia francese had rushed the Government into 



156 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

taking too prominent a part in promoting the success of 
their little neighbour, they would have found themselves 
drawn into a series of embarrassments and into a network 
of dangers the effect of which would have been incalculable. 
King Louis Philippe is shrewd and alert enough, where his own 
dynastic interests are concerned, not to remain coldly aloof 
from this struggle, which cannot but end to his disadvantage, 
whether anarchy triumphs under Isabella II. or Legitimacy 
carries the day under Don Carlos. This being the case, it 
would not be advisable to ruffle our other neighbours (for 
they are neighbours and not allies) by too definite acts of 
intervention. England alone is allied with us, but, under- 
mined as she is by so many internal wounds, can she still 
assert herself as she ought in the councils of Europe ? 
Certainly not ; and she must be well aware of the fact, for 
neither in the Eastern Question nor in any other question 
which has come up during the last two years has England 
made good in action the boasting of her language. 

The cholera continues to ravage Madrid, attacking chiefly 
the upper classes and particularly women. It has also 
appeared again, though slightly, in Paris and London. 

London, August 13, 1834. — The Irish Tithes Bill has 
been rejected by the House of Lords, as was expected, and 
by so large a majority that it would be difficult to create 
enough new Peers to redress the balance. And yet how can 
one imagine next Session opening with the same Upper 
House and the same Ministry ? The Ministry say that they 
will not give in, that they care nothing for the House of 
Lords, and will get on with the Commons alone without 
caring at all about the Clergy or the Peers, and without pay- 
ing much attention to the Crown. It is the Crown that 
should assert itself at this juncture ; but, alas ! the Crown 
is in a most benighted condition. 

Lord Grey told me he did not agree with the Chancellor 
that the only obstacles came from the House of Lords. He 
thinks that there will be very serious trouble in the Commons, 
where Mr. Stanley, the ex-Minister, is preparing a most violent 
attack on the Government. Lord Grey has been staying 



A SCENE AT THE LEVEE 157 

away from the House of Lords ; he feared he might perhaps 
be forced to speak and that, not being able to hide his 
distaste for the Cabinet's alhance with O'Connell, he might 
do an injury to the Ministry for which he does not wish to 
be responsible. 

London, August 14, 1834. — Grandees of Spain, it seems, 
are allowed to behave in a very free and easy way with their 
sovereigns. They smoke cigars with them and often finish 
the cigar which the monarch has left half consumed. The 
Duke of Frias, who was once Ambassador here, is a curious, 
absurd, and absent-minded person who puts himself about 
for nobody ; he came back some time ago on a few days 
visit to London. He went to the King's levee, and pushing 
forward his funny little face said to His Majesty : " You 
must know me." The King, who at first did not clearly 
remember him and was offended at the familiarity of his 
manner, said : " No, I don't know you." " I was Ambassador 
here," replied the little Duke, " when you were only Duke of 
Clarence." On this the King very nearly lost his temper, 
and, waving him on, repeated emphatically : " No, no, I 
don't know you." He then turned to the Minister of the 
Netherlands who came next and said to him aloud : " Who 
is that clown ? " This was a curious scene. 

London, August 18, 1834. — For several days I have been 
oppressed by the unwholesome atmosphere in which we live 
in London, profoundly agitated by the illness of my friends, 
and overwhelmed with all the preparations for my approach- 
ing departure. Thus my notes have been neglected. I 
should have liked to set down some of my last recollections 
of London, which are blurred with illness, anxiety and regret, 
but which are none the less precious. 

I have seen the Duke of Wellington and Lord Grey, who 
came to say good-bye, and expressed a friendship and esteem 
which I consider a great honour. Lord Grey I leave trying 
to quiet his conscience and to deceive himself about the too 
rapid progress of his country's affairs, which he has placed in 
a train that his successors will accelerate. 

The Duke of Wellington is not deceived about the 



158 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

seriousness of the situation, but he has made up his mind to 
struggle to the last and doesn't know the meaning of 
discouragement. It is not that he wishes to oppose all the 
proposals of the Ministry or to obstruct systematically all 
administration and stop the machinery of government. He 
is too honest a man for that. But he thinks it his duty and 
that of the Upper House to make themselves a bulwark for 
the protection of the ancient and fundamental bases of the 
constitution. The personality of the King spoils almost 
every chance of safety. His successor is a child with perhaps 
almost more against her, the more so as her mother, the 
future Regent, seems to be very obstinate and very narrow- 
minded. 

It is impossible not to think with terror of the future of 
this great country, which was still so brilliant and so proud 
four years ago when I came to it, and whose glory is now so 
tarnished when I am leaving it perhaps for ever. 

I do not admit the possibility of M. de Talleyrand's 
coming back. There are too many good reasons why he 
should not. I set them forth in a letter which I have 
written to him and which describes his position pretty 
correctly, so I insert it here. 

" I have a serious duty towards you of which I am never 
more conscious than when your glory is at stake. When I 
speak to you you sometimes find me a little irritating, and 
then I am silent and do not tell you all that I think — the 
whole truth. Allow me therefore to write to you, and please 
forgive anything that may seem displeasing because of the 
devotion which inspires what I write. Without claiming a 
very great share of cleverness I don't think I am altogether 
at fault in forming an opinion about you whom I know so 
well, and whose difficulties and embarrassments I am in such 
a good position for observing. It is not therefore lightly 
that I press you to abandon public life and to retire from the 
scene where a disordered society is playing a sorry part. Do 
not remain any longer at a post in which you will necessarily 
be called upon to demolish the edifice which you have 
laboured so hard to sustain. You know what I feared last year, 



A HOMILY ON RESIGNATION 159 

and how greatly, when you made up your mind to return to 
England. I foresaw all the repugnance which you would 
find in performing your task with the instruments at your 
disposal. Confess that my forebodings have to a great 
extent been realised. This year there are a thousand additional 
aggravating circumstances. Think of the circumstances in 
which you would find yourself. What do we see in 
England .'' A society divided by party spirit, and agitated by 
all the passions which arise from that spirit, losing every day 
something of its brilliancy, its breeding and its security, a King 
without firmness influenced chiefly by the very man of all his 
Cabinet who has most injured you, a frivolous, presumptuous, 
arrogant Minister, who pays you none of the respect due to 
your age and position. He obstructs and impedes basiness by 
every means in his power. His one thought is to secure 
the triumph of his own ideas ; he has no thought of educat- 
ing himself by studying yours. He leads you on from 
uncertainty to uncertainty, entraps you with contradictions, 
leaves you in ignorance and doubt, carries on independently of 
you things in which you ought to have a share, and then glories 
in the success of his treachery and scorn. Do you think 
you can preserve much longer with such a man, the dignity 
which befits you .'' Do you not feel that it is already com- 
promised, in fact, and soon will be in the public eye ? 
Moreover, do you think that an Ambassador who is a great 
personage, a man of your social gifts, can be acceptable to 
a Government which is being swept away by the current of 
Revolution, especially when you have already enough to do 
to struggle against a similar movement in your own country ? 
You have founded an alliance on a common basis of good 
order, stable equilibrium, and conservation of existing 
institutions. Will it please you to continue it on the basis 
of common sympathy with anarchy .'' 

" Do not forget that the support and consolation which you 
have found for several years in your relations with your 
colleagues will no longer be there, now that the face of 
the Diplomatic Corps in London has changed so much. 
The new Spain, the new Portugal, the shapeless form of 



Belgium, are the only conspicuous features, as impudent as 
they are vulgar. You would therefore be isolated in 
England and in the trying situation which would be the 
result, where would you find support ? Not in the Govern- 
ment you represent, for pettiness, indiscretion, vanity, 
and intrigue dominate everything in Paris. Only the 
greatness of your position in London enabled you to 
hold them in check. Our little Ministers are more on 
Lord Granville's side than ours, and you would not have 
their support in dominating things here. You came 
here four years ago, not to make your fortune, your 
career or your reputation. All these were made long ago ; 
you came, not out of affection for those who are conducting 
our government, for whom you have neither love nor 
affection. You came solely to render a great service to your 
country at a moment of the gravest peril. It was a perilous 
enterprise at your age ! It was a bold thing to reappear to 
still the storm after fifteen years of retirement ! You 
accomplished what you attempted ; let that suffice you. 
Henceforth you can do nothing but diminish the importance 
of what you have done. Remember the truth of Lord 
Grey's words : ' When one has kept one's health, and one's 
faculties, one may still at an advanced age usefully occupy 
one's self with public affairs. But, in critical times like the 
present, a degree of attention, activity and energy is 
required which belongs only to the prime of life and not to 
its decline.' When one is young, one moment is as good as 
another for joining in the fray ; when one is old the only 
-thing to do is to choose a good time for leaving it. Here 
Lord Grey was the last, all too feeble barrier against the 
revolutionary spirit ; here you have been the last barrier 
against the struggle of the powers with each other. Lord 
Grey realised too late that he was being carried away by the 
torrent ; do you not also feel that your influence has become 
as inadequate as his ? The noble and touching farewell 
words of Lord Grey threw a last fleeting ray of light on his 
career ; his retirement became a triumph ; another day and 
he was effaced ' The last two champions of the old Europe 



PLANS FOR THE FUTURE 161 

should quit public life at the same time. May they carry 
with them into their retirement the consciousness of their 
efforts and their services, and may history one day show that 
the coincidence of their departures was honourable to both. 

" This and only this I conceive to be the fitting close of 
yoiu- public life. All considerations which might lead you 
to think otherwise are unworthy of you. You cannot be 
influenced by the possibility of a little more amusement, 
a few more social resources. Are you to count the trifling 
excitements of dispatches, couriers, and news ? The interest 
produced by such things is too often a child's plaything. 
Are we even to consider the more or less material tranquillity 
we enjoy ? Is the epoch of shocks and revolutionary tor- 
ments at an end in France ? I do not know. Is it more or 
less distant in England ? I cannot tell. Will solitude be 
trying ? Shall we seek distraction in travel ? What in a 
word will be the arrangement of our private life ? What 
does it matter ? I am younger than you, and might, 
perhaps, more naturally take some thought for that ; but 
I should think myself unworthy of your confidence and of 
the truth which I am now venturing to tell you if the 
slightest consideration of my own comfort made me keep 
anything from you. When one is a historical personage as 
you are, one has no right to think of any other future than 
the future of history. History, as you know, judges the end 
of a man's life more severely than the beginning. If, as I am 
proud to believe, you think as highly of my judgment as of 
my affection, you will be as frank with yoiu-self as I am with 
you now. You will have done with all self-created illusions, 
all specious arguments and subtle pieces of self-love, and you 
will put an end to a situation which would soon lower you 
in other eyes than mine. Do not bargain with the public. 
Dictate its judgment, do not submit to it. Confess that 
you are old in order that people may not say that you are 
aging. Say nobly and simply before all the world, ' The 
time has come ! ' " 

Dom Miguel has left Genoa and has been seen at Savona, 
This is particularly displeasing to Lord Palmerston. 



162 DUCHESSE UK DIWO 

London, August 19, 1834'. — It appears that while Dom 
Miguel was at Savona several vessels were seen in the offing 
which hoisted English colours and made many signals, 
following which Dom Miguel is said to have returned to 
Genoa. This is what was being said yesterday, but no 
explanation is forthcoming. 

London, August 20, 1834. — M. de Talleyrand left 
London yesterday, probably never to return. That, at 
least, is what he said himself. 

There is always something solemn and peculiarly painful 
in doing a thing for the last time, in departure, in absence, 
in saying good-bye, especially Avhen one is eighty. I think 
he felt it, I know I feel it for him. Besides, surrounded as 
I am with illness, and ill myself, this being the anniversary 
of my mother's death, remembering all the pleasant things 
that have happened to me in England, I feel very weak and 
discouraged by the thought of departure. I said good-bye 
to M. de Talleyrand with a heart-sinking as great as if I 
was not to see him again in four days, and I might well 
have said to him as I said to Madame de Lieven, " I mourn 
my departure in yours." 

M. de Talleyrand"'s last impressions of his public life here 
were not precisely agreeable. After many hours spent at 
the Foreign Office in the company of M. de Miraflores, of 
M. de Sarmento, and of Lord Palmerston, who, as usual, 
kept everybody waiting a long time, the additional articles 
(which are of no great importance) of the Treaty of April 22, 
the Quadruple Alliance, were signed in the middle of the 
night. Lord Palmerston wanted to extend the scope of the 
Treaty. M, de Talleyrand, on the other hand, desired rather 
to narrow its obligations. Lord Granville"'s absence from 
Paris had left the French Government free from this source 
of obsession, so they held their ground and authorised 
M. de Talleyrand to maintain his position, and Lord 
Palmerston gained nothing by his wilfulness. Lord Holland 
by his draughtsmanship, or Miraflores by his antics. 

There are two stories which I have heard M. de Talley- 
rand tell so often that for me they have lost their freshness. 



A PERSIAX WIT 163 

They seemed very good when first I heard thera, so I will set 
them down here. They both have to do with the cam- 
paigns of the Emperor Napoleon, which ended in the Peace 
of Tilsit. 

At Warsaw, where he remained during part of the winter 
of 1806-7, the Emperor received an ambassador '^ from 
Persia, who seems to have been a man of wit. At any 
rate, M. de Talleyrand says that Napoleon asked the 
Persian whether he was not surprised to find a Western 
Emperor so near the East, and that the Ambassador replied, 
" No, sir, for Tah-masp-Kouli-Khan got even nearer." I 
have always had my doubts about the authenticity of this 
retort, which, I believe, to have been invented by M. de 
Talleyrand himself in one of his moments of irritation 
against the Emperor, an irritation to which he gave vent in 
malicious sayings usually attributed to other people. Some, 
however, he acknowledged as his own, and, indeed, I have 
heard them said for the first time ; such, for instance, as his 
remark in 1812, "It is the beginning of the end" {CPestle 
commencement de la Jin), which has been so often quoted since, 
which has received such numerous applications, and has become 
public property and almost a commonplace. The unfortunate 
campaign of 1812 inspired more than one of M. de Talley- 
rand's most mordant sayings. I remember one day M. de 
Dal berg came to my mo there's, and said that all the materiel 
of the army was lost. " Not at all,"" said M. de Talleyrand, 
" for the Due de Bassano has just arrived." The Due de Bassano 
was at that particular time, and for a very good reason, the 
object of M. de Talleyrand's displeasure. The Emperor 
desired to recall M. de Talleyrand to office, and it had been 
agreed that he should follow His Majesty to Warsaw. This 
was to remain a secret until the day of his departure. The 
Emperor, however, told the Due de Bassano who, being 
disturbed at the revival of a favoiu- which might disturb his 
own position, told his wife. She took it upon herself to 
put an end to the affair, and used, for this purpose, a 

1 Myrza-Ehyza-Kan, Envoy Extraordinary of Seth-Ali, Shah of Persia, 
to Napoleon I, at Warsaw, in March 1807. 



164 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

M. de Rambuteau, a talkative, pompous, and smooth-spoken 
person, pretentious and pliant at the same time, who fancied 
himself in love with the Duchess, and did her husband''s dirty 
work. M. de Rambuteau, then, having been thoroughly 
coached by the Duchesse de Bassano, went about everywhere 
spreading the news of the journey to Warsaw, saying that 
M. de Talleyrand was boasting about it and telling every 
one. The Emperor was offended, and M. de Talleyrand 
remained in France preparing reprisals. 

But to come to the second story which M. de Talleyrand 
so often tells — he says that the Persian Ambassador, who 
made such subtly witty replies to the Emperor Napoleon, 
was a very tall, handsome man, whereas another Oriental, 
the Turkish Ambassador,^ was a little man, short, squat, 
common and ridiculous. At a great ball, given by Count 
Potocki, the two Ambassadors were ascending the staircase 
together, and the little Turk darted forward in order to 
enter the ball-room before his colleague. The latter, seeing 
himself passed, stretched out his arm so as to make a kind 
of yoke, under which he calmly allowed the Mussulman to 
pass. 

London, August 22, 1834. — The English Ministers 
wished to insert in the King's Speech on the prorogation of 
Parliament a phrase very offensive to the Upper House, in 
revenge for the rejection of the Dissenters Bill and The 
Protestant Clergy in Ireland Tithes Bill. But the King 
opposed this with sufficient firmness to secure the abandon- 
ment of the phrase, after a very sharp struggle which rather 
delayed the hour of the sitting. 

The Queen has returned from her journey and has been 
received with ceremonious cordiality by the City of London, 
the chief magistrates of which went out to meet her. Her 
health is better. I think with pleasure of all the consolations 
which Providence in its equity reserves for her. 

M. de Biilow announces that he has applied for leave of 
absence on family affairs and that he is sure to obtain it. 

1 Eminin-Effendi, accredited by the Sultan Mustapha IV. to the Emperor 
Napoleon at Warsaw in March 1807. 



LAST DAYS IN ENGLAND 165 

He says he wants to go to the Hague to face the storm there, 
and having dispersed it at the Hague, to face more boldly 
that which he foresees at Berlin. I believe he will in fact 
go to the Hague, but much more for the purpose of rehabili- 
tating himself by a few platitudes than of fighting his quarrel 
to a finish. He does not wish to reach Berlin until he has 
received absolution at the Hague ; that at least is my opinion. 

London, August 23, 1834. — Here I end my London 
Journal with the regret that I did not begin it sooner. It 
would perhaps have possessed greater interest if I had. But 
fom- years ago when I arrived in this city I had neither 
pleasant memories of the past nor much interest in the 
present, nor much thought for the future. I then asked no 
more of each day as it succeeded its predecessor than a little 
distraction, and I paid little attention to the features which 
marked out each from the other. . . . 

Dover, August 24, 1834. — I was quite astonished to find 
myself expected here and all along the road. The Duke of 
Wellington who goes this way to Walmer Castle, his residence 
as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, had announced my 
arrival. A single family named Wright, who are very 
excellent people, keep almost all the inns on the road. 

Last year after a storm I was received here by a very pretty 
Mrs. Wright, who kept the Ship Hotel. She had the 
manner of a Queen and it was only to-day that I learned 
that she had been one — on the stage, and that her husband 
had been ruined by her extravagance. The hotel is now 
kept by people called Warburton, who do it in great style. 
I was again struck by the respectful politeness with which 
one is received in English inns when one changes horses, and 
with the pleasant language and good manners of the humblest 
people. On the way I heard of the Duke of Wellington, of 
the death of Mrs. Arbuthnot, of the passage of M. de 
Talleyrand, of the desire to see us back in England, and all 
this in the most charming way possible. 

I am to sail in a French packet — the Aveather is good and 
the sea calm. Farewell to England, but not to the memory 
of the four happy years which I have spent there, and which 



166 DUCHESSE DE DTNO 

have passed with a rapidity to be explained by the interest 
of the events which have happened, and the particular sources 
of pleasure and contentment which I have found there ! 
Farewell once more to this hospitable country which I leave 
with regrets and gratitude ! 

Paris, August 27, 1834. — I arrived here yesterday 
evening at ten o'clock to find M. de Talleyrand awaiting me. 
The general impression I got of him was that he was rather 
depressed and bored ; yet he said he was very much pleased with 
the Tuileries where he seems to be much in fashion. He also 
says that he is so popular in Paris that the passers-by stop 
before his carriage and lift their hats to him ; but in spite of 
all this he repeats that he knows no one here, that he is 
bored and that every one is aged and worn out. 

Paris, August 28, 1834. — I was at Saint-Cloud yesterday. 
The King did me the honour to speak to me a great deal, 
perhaps too much, for I had to say something on my side, 
and at Court my one desire is to be silent. This con- 
versation, however, was very interesting, for the King, who 
is witty on all subjects and intelligent about everything, 
talked about many things — the state of England at present, 
the break-up of which is so disquieting for her neighbours, 
Lord Grey's retirement which is greatly deplored here, Don 
Carlos's departure from England and the part great or small 
which the Duke of Wellington played in bringing it about. 
Here he is supposed to have arranged it all, a belief which 
I vigorously combated as I believed myself in duty bound to do. 
Then we talked of intervention in Spain, then of the Salic 
Law and in fact of everything that is occupying people just 
now. The King talked very well. He insisted much on the 
fact that he alone had opposed the immediate intervention de- 
manded by his Ministers, and closing his large hand he 
showed me his fist and said, " Do you understand Madame ? I 
had to hold back by the mane steeds which have neither 
mouth nor biidle ! " 

As regards the Salic law he said, " I am ' Salic law ' to my 
finger tips ; the Dukes of Orleans always have been, you will 
believe me when I say so. But when I struggled for the 



TALK WITH LOUIS PHILIPPE 167 

law they thought that I should have less chance if it were 
destroyed, so every one lent a hand in its destruction instead 
of helping me to maintain it. I was left alone to fight 
French ignorance and vanity and all the other difficulties of 
the situation, and now I am reproached with having abandoned 
my own cause in that of Don Carlos. I have no enmity 
against him, no love for Isabella, but people would have what 
has come to pass. The two years before I came to the 
Throne saw the preparation of the deplorable state of things 
which now prevails in the Peninsula. However, whether 
Anarchy triumphs under Isabella, or the Inquisition under 
Don Carlos, I may be troubled by them being my neighbours, 
but I cannot be shaken. We have made enormous internal 
progress, though I admit that much remains to be done, and 
with what instruments ! " 

The King then entered into many details relating to the 
troubles of his ^office and ended by saying, " Madame you must 
know that I have to be the Director in everything and the 
Master in nothing." 

A propos of the state of England, and of the complications 
which will arise there owing to the age and sex of the heir 
to the throne, His Majesty said, " What a deplorable thing 
it is to see all these little girl Kings in a time like the 
present ! " He went on to a dissertation full of real eloquence 
on the disadvantages of female rule, then suddenly stopped 
with a polite phrase and a sort of apology which was quite 
unnecessary. So I said that I thought that what M. de 
Talleyrand said of wits was true of women, " they were useful 
for anything but sufficient for nothing." 

The King then talked for a long time about the restorations 
at Versailles and Fontainebleau. He has had Louis XIV-'s 
room at Versailles refurnished exactly as it was, that is 
with hangings embroidered by the Demoiselles de Saint-Cyr. 
One panel represents the Sacrifice of Abraham, a second that 
of Iphigenia, a third the loves of Armida. The King has 
had replaced in this room a portrait of Madame de Maintenon 
giving a lesson to Mile, de Nantes. Versailles will be a 
true Museum of the history of France. I am grateful to 



168 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

the King for his respect for tradition ; our historic monu- 
ments will owe him a great deal. 

What a sad letter Alava writes from Milan ! He paints 
a most melancholy picture of Spain, and can foresee only 
a series of circumstances, each of which will be more fatal 
than the other. He tells me that the ignorance and 
presumption there are beyond belief, and that the half- 
knowledge of things which comes from France and England 
is perhaps doing more harm than absolute ignorance. 
The state of bankruptcy there is flagrant ; the cholera 
is more horrible than elsewhere, and is made worse by 
the stupidity of the people who at the funerals of cholera 
victims are seen eating tomatoes and cucumbers raw ! At 
Segovia, on the other hand, the sanitary junta ordered that 
in each house visited by the epidemic all the effects of the 
deceased should be burned and all the survivors shut up in 
the hospital, including the priest present during the last 
moments of the departed ! 

PariSy August 29, 1834. — How excited and busy every 
one is at Paris ! How their minds work ! How completely 
tranquillity and calm are unknown here ! Yet there is pro- 
gress and amelioration everywhere, but without regularity or 
measure. There are so many small intrigues, small passions 
and small cabals to exhaust people that no one can enjoy 
what is good or rest his soul in the prospect of a quiet 
future. This feverish way of living consumes people, and I 
find the members of the French Cabinet appallingly aged. 
They are little old men with the saddest air in the world. 

M. Thiers has passed through a series of disillusions and 
embarrassments which have made him wish for retirement ; 
he feels humiliated and discouraged. The King has sup- 
ported him, cheered him up and protected him, and has not 
been sorry to make this protection felt. He even said, " It 
is no bad thing that Messieurs les gens d'esprit should see 
from time to time that they have need of the King." 

M. le Due d'Orleans spent an hour with me. He is 
anxious to be married and is determined to be so. He is 
weary both of dissipation and of the youthful frivolities 



THE DUG D'ORLEANS 169 

which are injuring and belittling him. He is also disgusted 
with the real inactivity of his public life. He desires a 
home, a house of his own. He wishes to take root, to form 
a circle, to settle down, in short, to get older. All these views 
are very proper. 

The choice of a wife is the more difficult, as there are 
more prejudices than ever to overcome. The Russian 
Grand-duchess would be the most brilliant marriage, but 
would they have him ? Then there are some sentimental 
regrets for Poland here which would make such a marriage 
unpopular in France and perhaps impossible in Russia. An 
Austrian Arch-duchess would not be very easy to get, and 
besides, alliances in that quarter always seem to be unlucky. 
The King of Prussia's niece, to whom Louis Philippe inclines, 
seems to be insignificant in appearance and delicate in health. 
She has been brought up in habits of parsimony, and the 
possible subjects of quarrel which might arise between two 
Powers between whom the Rhine is in dispute, make the 
Duke somewhat averse from the Prussian Princess. From 
reports which are current it appears that the young Prince is 
more in favour of the second daughter of the King of WUr- 
temberg, who is tall, well made, pretty, witty and vivacious. 
She takes it from her mother, the Grand-duchess Catherine of 
Russia, one of the most distinguished women of her time, 
and, when she wished to be so, very charming. She was, 
however, an ambitious, restless and intriguing person, and I 
hope that her daughter does not resemble her in everything. 
M. le Due d'Orleans asked for M. de Talleyrand's advice and 
mine on the subject ; we asked for time to reflect. 

The Prince has invited himself to Valen9ay for the 
beginning of October to talk all this over at our ease. He 
has sense and a good judgment, and is not without ambition. 
There are excellent features in his character, but both his 
qualities and his defects make a distinguished wife essential. 

They say that Marshal Gerard is not pleased with his post 
as Minister of War. It appears that he only took it on a 
promise of a portfolio for his brother-in-law M. de Celles — 
a foolish and impracticable idea. However, they promised 



170 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

in order to persuade the Marshal to accept, and then were 
not ashamed to break their word. 

As to the marriage of the Prince Royal, I see that the 
question of religion is indiiFerent to him and of secondary 
importance to the King. The Queen alone would stand out 
for a preliminary conversion, but no rupture of negotiations 
would occur on this point. 

The exaggerated ideas of the King of Naples on the 
subject of the Princess Marie's dowry have suspended all 
idea of a marriage in that quarter. There is general regret 
in the Royal Family except on the part of the Princess her- 
self, who dreams of continuing here her aunfs existence, 
which she thinks charming. 

Paris, Atigust 30, 1834. — From what M. Thiers tells me, 
it seems that the King, on Marshal Soult's retirement, 
thought of summoning M. de Talleyrand to the Presidency 
of the Council. This idea is even now again in his mind 
when he thinks of Marshal Gerard's probable retirement. 
But M. de Talleyrand would not accept on any account and 
besides, as Thiers said to the King, " Madame de Dino does 
not wish it." 

At dinner yesterday at Saint-Cloud the King spoke to me 
with much acrimony of the Due de Broglie who, he said, had 
wished to keep him out of everything. He complained 
bitterly of the Duke's conduct. He complains of a good 
many people, but is arranging with Rigny and counting on 
M. Thiers. 

M. de Talleyrand is very much the fashion indeed at the 
Palace because he is saying everywhere that the King should 
have a free hand. I am also the fashion because I am a good 
listener, and because I say, as I think, that the King is the 
cleverest man in France. The King speaks on all subjects 
very well, a great deal, and at great length. He listens to 
himself, and, at least, is conscious of his ability. He loves 
the memory of the Regent, of whom Saint-Cloud naturally 
reminds him. He told me that Louis XVIII. also loved 
his memory and appeared much shocked at the calumnies 
of which he had been the object. " I," he said, " am his 



FOREIGN AFFAIRS 171 

best justification."''' But when Louis XVIII. said all this he 
ended curiously, for, having insisted on the outrageous cha- 
racter of these calumnies, he added, " Nevertheless, the verses 
of Lagrange-Chancel are so good that I have them by heart 
and like to say them over.""^ This was a curious conclusion 
to come to in a conversation with the present King. 

Paris, September 1, 1834. — This morning I saw M. de 
Rigny, who told me that the news from Spain was most 
embarrassing. Martinez de la Rosa is beginning to say that 
without the armed intervention of France all will go to the 
devil. The King is very strongly against intervention, much 
more so than his Ministers, who seem to me to be much 
agitated by this terrible neighbour. 

Hatred of Lord Palmerston is so general here that no one 
troubles to conceal it. M. de Rigny is deafened by it on all 
sides, A propos of this he told me that as Palmerston's 
exhibitions of arrogance and his hostile demonstrations 
were never, in fact, followed by any action, they had ceased 
to make any impression, and that people only said, " Ah, 
that's only one of Palmerston's little outbursts ! "" and then 
thought no more of it. 

M. Guizot has succeeded to Rigny's place in this house ; he 
is much pleased with the internal condition of the country, 
but he justly says that, if in addition to our domestic diffi- 
culties we had to interfere in a revolution in Spain, and were 
to be at the same time confronted with one in England we 
should indeed be undone. It seems certain that the new 
Chamber of Deputies is infinitely better than the last, and that 
it is recruited from a higher class. Material progress has also 
sensibly advanced. France left to herself without external 
embarrassments is evidently in a very good way indeed. 

Prince Czartoriski, very languid as usual, also came in ; 
he intends to establish himself definitely at Paris. 

At last I have been 9,ble to go out and call on the 

Werthers, where I heard more complaints of Palmerston. 

When I came back M. de Talleyrand set me to arranging 

1 Lagrange-Chancel was concerned in the conspiracy of Cellamare, and 
launched against Philippe d'Orleans three virulent pamphlets in verse, 
which were soon followed by two others. {PhUippiqiies, 1720.) 



172 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

papers, and I turned up a curious letter, signed Ferdinand, 
Carlos, Antonio, which was written from Valen9ay by these 
three Princes to express their gratitude and affection. 

Paris, September 2, 1834. — I have had a visit from 
M. Thiers, who told me what follows. All reports from 
Spain agree that Don Carlos will have just as many men as 
he can get muskets, and that he is only waiting for a con- 
signment of arms to march on Madrid, where everything is 
going wrong. Dom Miguel in his turn is preparing to re- 
appear in the Peninsula. If, therefore, the blockade is not 
effective enough to prevent the importation of arms the 
Queen's cause is desperate, unless France intervenes actively in 
Spanish affairs. The question may arise in an acute form 
at any moment and opinion is much divided. Bertin de 
Veaux and some others are in favour of armed intervention 
if it should become necessary to save the Queen, because, they 
say, if Don Carlos triumphs Carlism will become everywhere 
audacious, and France will have an implacable enemy on her 
frontiers. With so immediate a danger behind her here, 
every movement would be paralysed in a war, which would 
be all the more likely to be forced on her, and her chances 
of success the less. To this the King and M. de Talleyrand 
reply : " But if you intervene you will have war all the 
sooner ! And, moreover, who is going to help you ? Is 
England, undermined by her internal troubles, likely to be 
of any assistance ? " To that the answer is : " Her neutrality 
is enough." " But can you count on her neutrality. Does 
it not depend on the duration and composition of the present 
Cabinet, whose existence is extremely doubtful ? " M. de 
Rigny is much distracted by these conflicting opinions 
and is terribly embarrassed. Every one is racking their 
brains for an expedient. 

Rochecotte,^ September 7, 1834. — The weather, which had 

1 Rochecotte is a chateau built at the end of the eighteenth century 
which the Duchesse de Dino bought in 1825, and afterwards improved and 
greatly extended. In 1847 she presented it to her daughter the Marquise 
de Castellane. Rochecotte is charmingly situated on the slope of the 
Loire Valley, commanding the village of Saint Patrice, in the Department 
of Indre et Loire. 



COUNTRY LIFE 173 

been wretched for two whole days, improved yesterday, and 
a veritable sun of Austerlitz pierced the clouds to welcome my 
arrival at Langeais/ All the town surrounded the carriage, and 
all along the road, till I reached this place. I received many 
greetings and saw many smiling faces which much pleased me. 

The valley is very green, the Loire is full ; the careful 
cultivation and the resulting richness are admirable ; the 
hemp, which is one of the local industries, is as high as the 
vegetation of the Tropics, and in fact I am delighted with 
all I see. 

Rochecotte, September 8, 1834. — My life here is neither 
political nor social, and can be of no general interest. I will, 
however, continue to note the little incidents which strike me. 

Yesterday, after luncheon, while I was resting my poor 
head in a chaise longue in the salon, the Abbe Girolet sat 
beside me in a large arm-chair and told me he had a favour 
to ask. This was that I should undertake to be his sole 
executor. He has little of value to leave, and the charges 
on the succession will absorb at least the whole of it, but 
there was no one but me whom he could trust to look after 
his servants and his pensioners, and if I would do so he could 
die happy. I said he should do as he liked, and asked him 
to leave everything to me as he wished, but to spare me 
details then which would be painful to me, and which in any 
case I should learn only too soon. He took my hand and 
thanked me warmly for what he calls my kindness to him, 
and then after this momentary eifort relapsed into the silent, 
almost somnolent condition from which he rarely emerges. 

Vale7i(^ay, September 11, 1834. — I arrived here yesterday 
evening, having stopped for a little on the way at Breton- 
neau''s charming country house near Tours, and having 
admired the delightful road from Tours to Blois, which is so 
full of memories for me. It was dark, exeept for the moon, 
when I reached the post station of Selles, where I was 

1 Langeais is a large town rather more than two leagues from Roche- 
cotte. It is situate on the right bank of the Loire, and is dominated by a 
castle built in 992, and reconstructed in the thirteenth century by Pierre 
de la Brosse. In 1491 the marriage of King Charles VIII. and Anne de 
Bretagne was solemnised there. 



174 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

expected. At the first crack of the postillion''s whip every 
window was lit up with candles by the inhabitants, the effect 
of which was quite like an illumination. While they were 
changing horses the population surrounded the carriage with 
cries of welcome. Even the Sister Superior of the hospital, 
an old friend of mine, came to the door of the carriage 
to speak to me though it was nine o'clock. I was quite 
deafened and overwhelmed, but at the same time much 
touched. It was more than four years since 1 had passed 
that way, and I was far from expecting that they would 
remember the few services I rendered them in old times. 

At last, at ten o''clock, under a magnificent moon, 1 
reached my destination in the splendid courts of Valen9ay. 
M. de Talleyrand, Pauline, Mile. Henri ette,^ Demion, and 
all the servants were under the arcades with many lights. 
It made a pretty picture. 

Valen^ay^ September 12, 1834. — Here is the principal 
passage in a letter from Madame Adelaide to M. de Talley- 
rand : " You will no doubt remember the discussion which 
took place in my room on the absurdity, the danger, and the 
uselessness of declaring war on Don Carlos. It seems, never- 
theless, that some people wish to raise the question again. 
You treated the question in my presence in a manner so 
lucid and convincing that one would hardly have thought 
that it would have come up again. However, I think it 
right to warn you that there is a danger of it, and you would 
do well to make clear in England the danger of taking this 
false step, which can only end in evil. It seems that Eng- 
land is embarrassed by a promise to furnish Spain with naval 
assistance, and that this absurd proposition is being enter- 
tained as a way out of that promise. I think, therefore, 
that it would be well if you at once wrote to England 
on the subject. I attach great importance to this, for no 
one can do it so well or so effectively as you." 

Here now is M. de Talleyrand's answer.^ " I implore the 

1 Mile. Henriette Larcher, governess to Mile. Pauline de Perigord. 

2 This letter has already been published in the little book by the 
Countess de Mirabeau entitled, Le Prince de Talleyrand et la Maison 
d' Orleans, which appeared in 1890. 



THE SPANISH PROBLEM 175 

King to persist in his refusal to declare war against Don 
Carlos, for I think that this would be the most deplorable 
way of smoothing the embarrassment of the English Ministers. 
I am not surprised that they are embarrassed ; I have been 
expecting that they would be so for a very long time. I 
have never been able to understand the levity with which 
during the last two years they have been throwing them- 
selves into all the difficulties which have arisen in the Penin- 
sula. In 1830 London was the appointed place, the only 
suitable scene for negotiations on a great scale. Now England 
gets nearer to disorder as France recedes further from it, and 
the negotiations should be brought back to Paris and con- 
ducted under the eagle eye of the King. JOngland will not 
dare to venture alone, and the other Powers will range them- 
selves on our side in disapproving a declaration of war. 
Thus we shall risk nothing in refusing to declare war. It 
will be a good thing to gain time, and Lord Granville's 
absence from Paris gives us a pretext for avoiding a peremp- 
tory answer. If I hesitate to obey the suggestion that 
I should write to England on the subject, it is that I have 
reason to believe that any letter would produce an effect con- 
trary to that which I should desire. The English Cabinet 
has lately found me reserved and cold, and careful to avoid 
entangling my Government in any of the troublesome com- 
plications of the Peninsula. I cannot doubt that they dis- 
trusted me in all these transactions, and were offended at my 
lack of enthusiasm. Now that the I^nglish Ministers are 
embarrassed by promises which I allowed them to make 
without allowing France to participate, they are not likely 
to receive with goodwill either my advice or my warning."" 

Madame de Lieven writes most kindly from St. Petersburg ; 
she will soon be left alone with her pupil, with whom she is 
much pleased. The Emperor goes to Moscow, the Empress 
to Berlin, and then the Lievens enter on their duties and 
go into their own house, about which she seems to me. 
very naturally, to be rather in a hurry. I think her teeth 
are on edge already, though she is consoled by her august 
hosts. 



176 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Valen^ay, September 16, 1834. — Labouchere, who arrived 
here yesterday, says nothing can be compared to M. de 
Toreno's conduct but that of the Rothschilds.^ The former, 
before declaring the bankruptcy of the Spanish Government, 
sold out huge quantities of stock, speculating in the opposite 
sense from the Jews, and, as he was in the secret, he not 
only consolidated his personal position, which was very 
insecure, but made enormous profits, while almost every 
place in Europe has been very badly hit. 

Valen^ay, September 25, 1834. — Here is an extract from 
a letter written by M. de Rigny to M. de Talleyrand : 
" Calm is restored at Constantinople, but Mehemet Ali is 
furious at the obstinacy of the Porte and talks of indepen- 
dence ; we are going to try to soothe this feverish attack. 
Toreno, from being the adversary of the French creditors, 
has constituted himself almost their champion ; we shall 
know to-morrow or the day after what resolution has been 
adopted by the Cortes. Meanwhile, however, things are 
going no better in Spain, and at Madrid they are beginning 
to talk loudly of the necessity for our intervention. They 
wished to replace Rodil by Mina, but they are being treated 
with great coolness at St. Petersburg for not being present 
at the inauguration of the colunm. 

" I saw yesterday a letter from Lord Holland, who is con- 
gratulating himself on the stability of the English Ministry ; 
I don't know what that is worth. 

" Semonville has sent in his resignation in writing. He 
would have wished Bassano to be his successor ; the 
place has actually been given to Decazes, which perhaps 
you won't think any better. Mole refuses to be Vice-Presi- 
dent, being wounded at Broglie being put before him. 
That is his whole reason. Is it reasonable? Villemain 
refuses to be Perpetual Secretary. That would be, he 
says, to abandon his political future ! On the other hand, 
Viennet would be quite ready to abandon his for the 
permanency. 

" We have just had two or three bad elections. As for 
1 §ge the Londop Chronicle for August 6, 1834. 



GEORGE SAND 177 

the amnesty, the decision is negative. I fear they will 
regret having taken this course when we are in the middle 
of a cross-fire of law-suits, lawyers, platform oratory, and 
newspaper articles. It is necessary in this country to look 
a few months ahead ! " 

A letter from Lady Jersey informs me that Palmerston 
has refused to be Governor- General of India, and that the 
Duchesse de Berry is about to have a child — legitimate this 
time. 

Valen^ay, September 28, 1834. — When we got back 
yesterday from our walk we found the house full of visitors, 
male and female, who had driven here, and were inspecting 
everything with interest. The steward told us that it was 
Madame Dudevant, with M. Alfred de Musset and a party. 
At the name of Dudevant the Entraigues made several ex- 
clamations which I did not understand till they explained that 
Madame Dudevant is no other than the author of Indiana^ 
Valentine, Leone Leoni — in fact, George Sand ! She lives in 
the Berri when she is not running about the world, as she 
often does. She has a chateau near La Chatre, where her 
husband lives all the year round, and occupies himself with 
agriculture. He it is who looks after the two children he 
has by the woman of genius. She herself is the daughter 
of a natural daughter of Marshal de Saxe ; she often 
appears in men's clothes, but was not so attired yesterday. 
When I entered my apartments I found the whole party 
parleying with Joseph ^ for permission to see them, which is 
not usually allowed when I am here. On this occasion I 
wanted to be civil to neighbours, so I myself threw open the 
doors, showed them everything, and explained things, and 
finally escorted them as far as the large drawing-room, where 
the heroine of the occasion, seeing my portrait by Prud'hon, 
thought herself obliged to pay me many compliments. She 
is small, dark, and insignificant in appearance, between thirty 
and forty. Her eyes are good, and her hair is dressed in a 
pretentious way, such as is described as " classical " on the 
stage. Her tone is dry and abrupt ; her judgments on 
1 The Porter at Valen^ay. 

M 



178 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

artistic matters are very positive. The bust of Napoleon 
and Canova's Paris, as well as Thorwaldsen's bust of Alex- 
ander and a copy from Raphael by Annibale Carraci (which 
the good lady took for an original) gave her many oppor- 
tunities. Her language is very fine. On the whole, she is 
not elegant ; the rest of the party were quite common, in 
appearance I mean, for not one of them opened his lips. 

In the evening I had another visit after my own heart 
from a sister of the order of nuns at Valen^ay, who was a 
novice here. Though she is only thirty-three she is already 
the first assistant at the mother house, whence she comes to 
inspect here. She looks upon Valen9ay as her cradle. She 
came here at the time when I founded the small institution 
here, and was then remarkably fresh and beautiful. Now 
she is thin and pale, but still very sweet and gentle in 
appearance. In spite of her sanctity, which has advanced 
her so rapidly in the Order, she is very fond of me, and 
kissed me just as if I was worthy of it, expressing much joy 
at seeing me again, poor sinner that I am. 

Valen^ay^ October 7, 1834. — Yesterday I had a long 
conversation with M. de Talleyrand about his plans of 
retirement, which led me to speak to him frankly on several 
important features of his position. I had the courage to 
tell him the truth, as is always right when dealing with 
people of his great age. 

Valen^ay^ October 9, 1834. — M. de Montrond, who has 
been here some days, asked to see me yesterday about an 
important matter. I saw him, and after some pleasantries 
which I received rather coldly, he said that he had come to 
announce his departure, at which I should not probably be 
surprised, considering the extraordinary way in which M. de 
Talleyrand was treating him. He spoke for a long time 
and complained bitterly. He is deeply hurt, and that 
makes him say many nasty things. He added that he 
knew quite well that I didn't like him, but that I had 
always been kind and civil to him, and wished to thank me 
for it, and to say that, though he had no doubt I should 
not agree with him, I should be bored to death, and the life 



END OF A FRIENDSHIP 179 

I was leading would certainly become insupportable, though 
it would be difficult for any one to live it more gracefully. 
In short, he took pains, for what reason I know not, to 
stand well with me. 

I confess that I was very ill at ease during his remarks, 
which, though broken and abrupt in his usual style, lasted 
for some time. Here is a summary of my answer, or rather 
of my answers. I regretted all that might suggest a quarrel, 
for that would do no good to any one and would damage 
him (M. de Montrond) most. Society would side against 
him, as his rudeness to M. de Talleyrand would explain the 
latter's want of patience. To complain and explain his 
grievances by the existence of motives such as he had 
suggested to me would be in very bad taste, and there were 
some things which should not be said even when they 
seemed to be true, especially after forty years of a friend- 
ship which on M. de Talleyrand's part might be described 
as patronage. As far as I was concerned, I could not be 
dull in the midst of my duties and family interests ; besides, 
my life, my habits, my whole existence had for long been 
bound up with M. de Talleyrand's interests. This was 
my destiny, with which I was well satisfied and desired no 
other. 

On this he resumed : " It is clear that you are destined 
to bury him. Then you are very clever and have a great 
gift for speech and action. You are also enough of a 
great lady to know how to take things in a certain way. 
As for me, the only thing to do is to go."" 

I took him up then. " You have something more to do, 
and that is to go away civilly without a scene, and not to 
tell any one that you did so because you were angry. You 
have, above all, to avoid speaking, I do not say ill, but 
even lightly, of M. de Talleyrand." He said, " You make 
very pretty speeches this morning, but if I do as you wish, 
what will you do for me ? *" — " I will keep the true cause of 
yoin: departure secret," — " You are too clever, Madame de 
Dino." — " I know what I am saying." 

He asked me if I would shake hands with him and 



180 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

promise to be good natured about him. " Yes, if you do not 
speak amiss of M. de Talleyrand."" " Very well. I shall not 
go straight to Paris. I shall go to d'Argenson at Ormes to 
get over this, and when I have got back my ' lamb-like 
temper,' I shall speak to the King and invent some business 
to excuse my not waiting for his son here." " Do what you 
like so long as you behave like a gentleman." He is gone. 
At luncheon he said that he had got a letter which obliged 
him to leave to-day. 

The fact is, that I had been expecting something of the 
kind. M. de Talleyrand, after many years of too long 
suffering patience, has suddenly gone uncompromisingly to 
the other extreme, and the day before yesterday so clearly 
indicated to M. de Montrond that he was not wanted here, 
that the latter could not overlook it. It is possible that 
M. de Montrond will impose some restraint on his tongue, 
just sufficient that is to avoid an accusation of bad faith, 
but it seems to me impossible that he will not take some 
underhand way of revenging himself, for he is hurt and 
upset. To have to go on the eve of the arrival of a large 
and distinguished party of English people to whom he was 
preparing to do the honours of Valen9ay, not to be here 
when M. le Due d'Orleans is expected — these are two 
real disappointments for which he will not forgive M. de 
Talleyrand. 

In the first and most virulent part of his conversation 
with me he frequently referred to the King and to M. de 
Flahaut in such a way as to persuade me that he means to 
take the latter's part absolutely, in order that he may be 
able to injure M. de Talleyrand with His Majesty. What 
can one expect of a being like him ? But also how childish 
to lose one's temper after forty years ! ^ M. de Montrond 
said to me, " He should treat me with the kindness and 
intimacy of an old friend, or else with the politeness of a 
host." To this I replied, " But would not M. de Talleyrand 
also be justified in saying to you that you give him neither 
1 In 1793 Montrond had fled to England, and there had placed himself 
under M. de Talleyrand's protection. This was the beginning of their 
long friendship. 



FIRE AT WESTMINSTER 181 

the deference due to one''s host, nor the attentions due to 
his age and to your former relations ? In what other house 
would you have dared to run down everything as you do 
here ? You have criticised his neighboinrs, his servants, his 
wine, his horses, in fact everything. If he has been rude 
you have given him provocation, and, indeed, there are too 
many witnesses of your habit of perpetual contradiction 
to make it possible for you to complain of the anger it has 
aroused." 

Valen^ay, October 14, 1834. — We have staying here 
Lady Clanricarde, Mr. and Mrs. Dawson Damer, and 
Mr. Henry Greville. I went for a long drive yesterday 
with Lady Clanricarde, and talked to her a great deal 
about her father, the celebrated Mr. Canning, and of her 
mother, who was not less distinguished, but who did not 
appear to be much beloved by her daughter. Lady Clanri- 
carde is clever ; her manners are restrained, dignified, and in 
good taste; but, judging from what I saw, I consider her 
rather hard-hearted and intellectually stiff. Both her 
manners, however, and her character have, in my opinion, a 
real value. She never lets herself go and has no personal 
magnetism, but when all is said and done, she is a figure 
of real distinction and of the best and most exquisite 
breeding. Mrs. Damer is a good soul — nothing more. 

Valen^ay, October 18, 1834. — Speaking to Lady Clanri- 
carde of Lord Palmerston and Lady Cowper, we fell to 
wondering what it is that enables some people to retain so 
much influence over some others, and I made an observation 
on the subject against which she protested, to the effect that, 
" it is by what they demand that men preserve their influence 
over women, while it is by what they concede that women 
preserve their influence over men." 

Valen^ay^ October 21, 1834. — Yesterday the news came of 
the dreadful fire at Westminster. It is a terrible catastrophe 
and one which is distinctly ominous, as it suggests that the 
political edifice is crumbling along with the material one, 
and that the old walls refused any longer to be dishonoured 
by the profane doctrines of to-day. There is something in 



182 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

this which may well impress not only the imagination of the 
multitude, but the mind of every thinking person. 

The English party here all believe that the fire was the 
work of an incendiary, because it began in the House of 
Lords. The Globe, which was sent to M. de Talleyrand, 
kept us all up very late, for we were anxious to know all the 
versions of the disaster. It appears that the loss in papers 
and documents of all kinds is enormous, and is due not only 
to the fire, but to their being scattered and blown away. 
What a pity ! It is said that it will cause much confusion, 
and many gaps in the proceedings of the Courts. 

Yesterday, I took Lady Clanricarde and Mrs. Damer to 
see the little convent, the school and all the small institution 
conducted by the Valen^ay sisters. This is the sort of thing 
which makes very little impression on English women. For 
all their cleverness and goodness, they are not charitable in 
the true sense of the word, and they have a singular un- 
willingness to come in contact with poverty, misery, mis- 
fortune, illness or suffering. This distant manner of theirs 
with lesser people, so useful in society, freezes and irritates 
me when I see it applied even to the poor. Thus Lady 
Clanricarde, so agreeable in society, found nothing to say to 
my poor sisters who are so simple and devoted. She hardly 
put her nose inside the door of the school, and gathered up 
her fine skirts, that they might not be rumpled by the little 
girls who were going to their places. The two ladies were 
much astonished that I found so much to say, and above 
all, when they saw me stopped several times in the village by 
people who wanted to consult me about their business. This 
way of living is incomprehensible to an Englishwoman, and 
at that moment. Lady Clanricarde, clever as she is, and well 
disposed to me, was surprised, I am sure, to think that I 
knew how to eat properly at table, and was wearing a dress 
made by Mile. Palmyre ! 

Valen^ay, October 23, 1834. — All yesterday it rained in 
torrents, and it was impossible to go out. Our English 
friends made music barbarously enough all morning ; and in 
the evening three letters came. One was from Lord Sidney 



ENGLISH VISITORS 183 

to Henry Greville, saying that M. de Montrond had got 
back to Paris, and was teUing everybody that Valen9ay had 
become quite uninhabitable, that Greville and the Darners 
were being bored to death, and that only Lady Clanricarde 
could put up with it, H. Greville read this in a low 
voice. Lady Clanricarde continued aloud, M. de Talleyrand 
asked what it was, and the whole passage was read to him. 

The second letter was from M. de Montrond to Mr. 
Damer, and inquired how he was getting on at Valen9ay. 
The writer observed that he was not anxious about H. 
Greville who loved tittle-tattle, and would get what he 
wanted there. Mr. Damer read this also aloud. 

The third letter was from M. de Montrond to myself, and 
was as cool as possible in tone. I passed it to M. de 
Talleyrand who, annoyed at what he had just heard, read it 
too aloud. It reminded me of Celimene's letter I I don't 
know what reflections this little scene may have provoked, 
for I went to bed immediately afterwards. 

Valen^ay, October 26, 1834. — The weather improved a 
little yesterday ; just now it is very cold but dry, with 
brilliant sunshine. Let us hope that it will last for the arrival 
of M. le Due d'Orleans who is expected to-night ! The 
populations of fourteen Communes are in motion and people 
are coming from Chateauroux and even from Issoudun which 
is ten or twelve leagues from here. The fact that it is 
Sunday makes it easier for them to gratify their cruriosity 
and whatever the papers say there will be nothing else in the 
way of magnificence or festal preparations than a crowd. I 
believe that M. le Due d'Orleans will be very well received 
by the country folk. Never since the days of la Grande 
Mademoiselle has any Prince of any dynasty come here. 
The whole country between Blois and Chateauroux, so well 
treated by the Valois, has been, as it were, disgraced and for- 
gotten ; none of the succeeding Governments would do 
anything for this corner of Berri. When I first came here 
everything in the way of civilisation was as it had been in 
the time of Louis XIII. M. de Talleyrand has done some- 
thing to secure a little progress, and I too have done a 



184 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

little, but it is only this year that we have been able to organise 
a system of post horses. So far there is not even a diligence, 
and for many people, even in easy circumstances, the only 
means of conveyance is pataches, that is, carriages without 
springs. In such a remote part a Prince is still somebody. 
Our communes are flattered that one is about to wander into 
our solitudes, and they will cry out " Vive le Roi ! " with all 
their might, which is the best thing that they can do. 

Among those who arrived last night were the Baron de 
Montmorency and Madame la Comtesse Camille de Sainte- 
Aldegonde. The Baron de Montmorency was long ago on 
the point of being the Lauzun of the Mademoiselle of his 
day,^ and though he declined the honour of the alliance he 
has remained very intimate with Neuilly. Madame de Sainte- 
Aldegonde lives in a very pretty house between here and 
Blois ; she is one of the Queen's ladies and a great friend of 
the Baron de Montmorency. Her first husband was General 
Augereau. She is my own age and we came out at the same 
time. We were both ladies-in-waiting to the Empress Marie 
Louise, but we did not see much of each other, for she 
followed her husband to the front and never came to Court. 
On the fall of the Empire we lost sight of each other 
completely. Madame de Sainte-Aldegonde has been extremely 
beautiful, and if her expression were more agreeable she 
would be so still, but she never had a kindly air owing to her 
eyebrows which are very dark and turn up too much ; and, as 
she has lost the softness of her first youth, there remains a 
certain crudity which is not attractive. Her voice is rather 
high-pitched, and, though polite and well-bred enough, she 
lacks that ease and smooth courtesy which can only be 
acquired at the time when one first learns the elegances of 
life. When one does not learn them in one's cradle one may 
be presentable, but one can never be distinguished, yet after 
all, considering everything, she will pass muster. 

Valen^ay, October 27, 1834. — M. le Due d'Orleans came 
yesterday, in very bad weather, an hour sooner than he was 

1 Madame Adelaide had caused her hand to be offered to the Baron de 
Montmorency, but on condition that she should not be required to change 
her name — a condition which the Baron declined to accept. 



A ROYAL VISIT 185 

expected, which much upset both us and the sightseers. 
However, our little Garde Nationale was there to receive him. 
The Municipality were also assembled and a certain number 
of people were there to greet him as he passed. There 
were no speeches, for which I think he was thankful. 

M. le Due d'Orleans began by having some conversation 
in the salon with M. de Talleyrand, M. and Madame de 
Valen9ay and myself. He announced, much to my surprise, 
that Madame de Rigny, Thiers and Guizot were coming. My 
surprise was not lessened when Monseigneur told me that the 
King was sirongly urging his Ministers to come here because 
it was a good excuse to suspend the Councils for a few days. 
These had become almost impossible owing to the outbursts 
of Marshal Gerard, and a crisis was inevitable. It was desired, 
however, to postpone it for a time, and, with this in view, 
not to call the Cabinet together. Marshal Gerard was in a 
minority of one, all the Ministers being united against him. 

When Monseigneur retired to his apartments I went to 
dress and went down at once in order to be first in the salon. 
I found there General Petit commanding the 5 th Division, 
General Saint- Paul commanding the Department of the Indre, 
and General Baudrand of the Prince's suite with his 
secretary M. de Boismilon. 

After dinner there was a slight fit of solemnity, which I 
soon dissipated by taking up my work as usual. The Prince 
thanked me cordially for doing so. Then every one grouped 
and arranged themselves naturally. A little later M. de 
Talleyrand took his usual evening walk, and when he came 
back he found Lady Clanricarde, the Prince, Henry Greville 
and me playing whist gaily together. Music was playing in 
the vestibule, and in a word the ice was broken. 

After tea the Prince vanished, and at eleven everybody 
went to bed. 

Vdlen^ay, October 28, 1834. — Here is an account of 
yesterday. After breakfast M. le Due d'Orleans went over 
the Chateau and its immediate neighbourhood, my son and 
I acting as his guides. All our guests who had not already 
seen what there is to see followed. 



186 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

When we got back three carriages, a phaeton, and six 
saddle-horses were in attendance. Each member of the 
company took his place. M. le due d''Orleans, the Mar- 
chioness of Clanricarde, the Baron de Montmorency and 
I were in the first carriage. M. de Talleyrand, Madame 
de Sainte-Aldegonde, General Baudrand, and M. Jules 
d'Entraigues were in the second, and so on. After crossing 
the park and an isolated piece of the forest, we stopped at a 
pretty pavilion, from which there is a fine view. The 
military band was concealed behind the trees, which still 
have much of their foliage. There was a considerable crowd, 
and the whole made a very pretty forest scene. We then 
plunged into the forest itself, and did not return till it was 
time to dress for dinner. 

After dinner we took the Prince to a ball at the Orangerie. 
The courts, the keep, and the railings were illuminated, and 
the effect was very fine. The ball-room was very finely 
decorated, and so full of people that one eould scarcely move. 
There was, however, no vulgar pushfulness, and if the cries of 
greeting were ear-splitting, they were such as always please a 
Prince. He walked all through the room, greeted every one, and 
talked a little. They were, in short, much pleased with him ; so 
pleased, indeed, that, though he only stayed an hour, they were 
still shouting under his windows at two o"*clock in the morning. 

Valen^ay^ October 29, 1834. — Yesterday before luncheon 
our Royal guest, with his aide-de-camp, my son, and the 
Baron de Montmorency, went to visit the spinning mill and 
the quarries from which came the stone of which the Chateau 
is built. He thought the quarries superb. After luncheon 
we took him to the ironworks. There was a cheering crowd ; 
the men did their work well, both casting and forging. 
Inside the fine building they produced and repeated an 
effect of fireworks with the flaming molten metal which was 
very fine and much amused our English ladies. On the way 
back we made a slight detour to see the ruins of Veuil. 

1 Veuil commands the valley of Nahon, and was joined to the Seigneurie 
of Valen9ay in 1787 by M. de Lugay, who was then the owner. The castle, 
which must have been very fine, is now a ruin, of which only a fragment is 
inhabited by a farmer. 



A TALK WITH THE PRINCE 187 

The band was hidden in one of the old towers. A great 
fire had been hghted in the only room which remains intact, 
and in which we were served with refreshments. In the 
courtyard and through the half-ruined archways were seen 
national guards and peasants, who cheered and threw their 
hats up into the air. This little excursion was very pleasant 
in spite of the dull weather. The sun, or rather the moon, 
would have made it perfect. 

At dinner, besides our guests of last night, we had the 
Prefects of Indre-et-Loire and of Loir-et-Cher, General 
Ornano, and Colonel Garraube, a Deputy, to whom we owe 
the band that has given so much pleasure. After dinner 
there was whist, a few turns of a waltz, &c. 

Later on there was a real ball and supper for the servants, 
and in honour of the servants of the Prince Royal ; it was 
really very pretty. 

Yesterday at dinner I was a little surprised at something 
my Royal neighbour said to me. He asked me when we 
were going to Rochecotte. — " I don't know, Monseigneur."" — 
" But you can't spend the winter here where it is so cold."" — 
" Oh no, we never intended to do that."" — " Are you coming to 
Paris ? " — " I really don't know." — " For, of course, England 
is out of the question since Lord Palmerston won't go to 
India." I looked straight at the Prince with some surprise, 
and said : " I believe that Lord Palmerston's departure 
would certainly have recalled the Ambassadors to London, 
and that if he stays that will keep them away ; but M. de 
Talleyrand's plans are very uncertain, and, moreover, depend 
on the King's wishes." — " Your uncle told me that he thinks 
we have got out of England all that we can, and that great 
affairs are no longer to be transacted in London, but in 
Paris, under my father's eye." — " Yes, that is M. de 
Talleyrand's idea, because the King's honesty and ability 
have inspired confidence in Europe in inverse ratio to the 
distrust which the policy carried on in England for the last 
months has aroused." — " My father very much wants M. de 
Talleyrand to return to England, but before talking to your 
uncle about it I told the Kino; that I thought it was im- 



188 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

possible." — ^' It certainly would be difficult, Monseigneur." — 
" But you, Madame, what are your wishes ? " — " Whatever 
will be agreeable to the King, Monseigneur ; and if M. de 
Talleyrand does not go back to London it will be because 
he is persuaded that, things being as they are, he would be 
of no use. Personally, I am extremely fond of England ; a 
thousand ties of gratitude and admiration bind me to that 
country, especially the Queen's kindness, and the friendship 
of Lord Grey and the Duke of Wellington. But there are 
some friends whom one does not lose simply because one 
leaves them, and I hope in course of time to go and thank 
my English friends for all their kindness to me during the 
last four years." ^ — " But, to leave the question of the 
Embassy, what will M. de Talleyrand do ? " — " Whatever 
the King wishes. If the King wishes to see him, he will go 
and pay his respects ; if his Majesty will allow him to rest, he 
will remain in retirement, taking care of his legs, which, as 
you see, are very weak and very painful. In a word, 
Monseigneur, he will always be the King''s most devoted 
servant." And at this point this somewhat curious conversa- 
tion came to an end. 

Valen^ay, October 30, 1834. — Yesterday morning all our 
neighbours from Tours, Blois, and the neighbourhood left 
rather early, as did M. Motteux, who left a charming English 
dog as a present for M. de Talleyrand. The excellent man 
left us with much regret, having greatly enjoyed his visit, 
most of which he spent in the kitchen, in the press house, or 
at market. He said very little, but was neither indiscreet 
nor in the way, nor spiteful with his tongue. 

Before luncheon M. le Due d'Orleans visited the two 
hosiery establishments,^ made purchases, and gave orders. 
After luncheon he asked to be shown our schools and the 
establishment of the Sisters, and gave a large sum for the 
poor. He seemed much struck by the excellent management 

1 The Duchesse de Dino never revisited England in spite of her happy 
memories of that country. 

2 When you entered this shop, then very celebrated in France, you used 
to see models of the legs of all M. de Talleyrand's lady friends, duly 
labelled, which bad been made for the guidance of the Valengay tradesman. 



DEPAHTURE OF THE PRINCE 189 

of the little convent, and particularly with the manners of 
the Superior. On this occasion he told me that one of his 
ancestors lent money to the Holy See and was not repaid at 
the appointed time. The Pope, however, by way of compensa- 
tion sent a Bull creating all the male posterity of his family 
sub-deacons from their birth and canons of Saint- Martin of 
Tours, with the right to touch the sacred vessels without 
gloves, and to sit on the Gospel side of the church instead 
of the Epistle side. King Louis Philippe was installed 
Canon of Tours at the age of seven. 

Later on, we took the Prince to the ponds in the forest, 
by the side of which there was a great camp-fire. 

Before dinner the Prince again desired some private 
conversation with M. de Talleyrand and then with me. 
Afterwards we played pool on the billiard-table. The scene 
was very animated, the ladies being of the party. Tea 
taken, the letters came, and announced the resignation of 
Marshal Gerard ; and M. le Due d'Orleans, retired, put on his 
travelling dress, and at half-past eleven, after saying many 
gracious things, he departed. 

Although everything went off very well during his visit, 
and though the Prince was really perfectly charming to 
everybody, I am nevertheless much relieved now that he 
is gone. I feared every moment that some accident would 
happen, and for this reason opposed every idea of a shooting 
party ; I feared disloyal cries, bad weather, a thousand things ; 
and, besides, I was worn out with fatigue. 

As I foresaw, the visit of M. le Due d'Orleans has thrown 
some light on our future, for M. de Talleyrand said to him 
that there was no more for him to do in London. He 
pointed out Lord Palmerston's personal character, the line 
taken by the English Cabinet, the absence of all the hant 
corps diplomatique from London, and the evident tendency of 
all the Courts to cease acting in that capital and to choose 
another centre of high politics. Besides all this, the weari- 
ness of his legs made it impossible for him to return to 
England unless a reaction occurred which made him — M. de 
Talleyrand — a more suitable person than any other to con- 



190 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

duct the affairs of France there. For the moment he 
thought that any one would do just as well, if not better, 
than he, M. le Due d'Orleans said positively that he had 
been charged by the King to discover the intentions of 
M. de Talleyrand, and at the same time to express the 
King's desire to talk with him if he did not mean to return 
to London. His Majesty was most anxious that M. de 
Talleyrand should not abandon his interest and participation 
in the work at which he had laboured so much. 

M. le Due d'Orleans told me a curious thing — that 
eighteen months ago Lucien Bonaparte had written him a 
rather abject letter, begging him to obtain for him the post 
of French Minister at Florence ! 

I have just heard that the King has positively refused to 
call the Due de Broglie to the Presidency of the Council in 
place of Marshal Gerard. It is clear that it was this Minis- 
terial crisis which prevented the arrival of the three Ministers 
who were to have come here. I am quite glad it did, for this 
took away all political significance from the Prince's visit. 

He spoke much of Rochecotte and of his desire to visit it 
again next summer. 

Valengai/, October 31, 1834. — M. le Comte dela Redorte 
is staying here. He is a man of undoubted erudition. He 
has studied a great deal, and travelled much. He remembers 
everything, but, unfortunately, instead of waiting till you 
knock at his door, as an Englishman would do, he throws it 
wide open and forces you to come in. Though his face is 
fine and his manners charming, and the sound of his voice 
delightful, he is simply a bore. He fills his conversation 
with facts, dates, and figures ; he enters into the most 
minute details ; he plunges head first into the heaviest 
economic topics, and wearies, extinguishes, and crushes his 
audience. His opinions, moreover, are cut and dried on 
every subject ; his judgments are absolute ; his expositions 
are all arranged beforehand. It is deadly dull ! Our 
English party groaned under him ! He left after luncheon, 
and as he was going M. de Talleyrand said : " There is a 
jnijid which stopped before it arrived." He said a rather 



THE FRENCH MINISTRY 191 

sharp thing about Madame de Sainte-Aldegonde, who also left 
this morning. Speaking of her very dark eyebrows, which 
surmount rather expressionless eyes : " These," he said, " are 
bows without arrows." 

Here is an extract from a letter from Paris, dated the 
29th, which came yesterday : " The post-horses were waiting 
in M. de R.igny''s courtyard on Sunday the 26th, and he 
was just about to leave with Bertin de Veaux, when the 
King sent for him and commanded him to put off his 
departure for a day. He never got another opportunity of 
getting away. Yesterday, at four, Marshal Gerard forced 
the King to accept his resignation. M. de Rigny has 
determined not to accept the Premiership which they wish 
to offer him. He thinks he has neither the talent nor the 
consistency necessary for the post. He cannot disguise from 
himself that the only reason for offering him the place is 
the difficulty of getting any one else ; and if his refusal costs 
him his place he will console himself with the reflection that 
it is better to go out of office in this way than to go later 
on less honourably. And yet what will be the end of all 
this ? What appears most probable is the addition of 
M. Mole to the Ministry. M. Thiers would much like 
to be Premier, but he does not yet dare to be openly a 
candidate. M. Mole would not remain long. His means, 
his character, his surroundings, will all combine to promote 
his speedy fall. This would be enough to enable M. Thiers 
to realise his ambition — at least he thinks so. He would, 
however, have been better pleased to see M. de Rigny 
undertake the part intended for M. Mole, but that even 
his eloquence could not achieve ! " 

Valen^ay, November 1, 1834. — I hear from Paris that an 
article in terms very insulting to M. de Talleyrand and 
myself has just appeared in a periodical review. For many 
years I have been afflicted with insults, libels, and gutter 
calumnies of all kinds, and I shall be so persecuted till the 
end of my days. Living as I have done in the house of 
M. de Talleyrand, and in his confidence, how could I escape 
the licence of the press and its attacks in the most libellous 



192 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

age of journalism ? It was long before I got used to it, I 
used to be deeply wounded, very much upset, and very un- 
happy, and I shall never become quite indifferent. A 
woman never could be, and would, in my opinion, be the 
worse for becoming so. However, as it would be equally 
absurd to allow one's peace of mind to be at the mercy of 
people one despises, I have made up my mind to read nothing 
of this kind, and the more directly concerned I am the less 
I desire to know about it. I do not wish to know the evil 
people think or say or write about me, or about my friends. 
If they do wrong, or if I myself am not all I should be, I 
am quite aware of the fact, and want to forget it. As for 
calumny, it disgusts and enrages me, and I see no reason 
why I should acknowledge the dirt thrown at those nearest 
and dearest to me. 

There are so many pains and mortifications in this life, 
and so many are inevitable, that my only thought is how 
to avoid as many as possible, for I am sure that enough 
remains to test my courage and resignation. 

Another of my motives for not investigating these 
malevolent incidents is that I find it too hard to forgive 
them, for if gratitude is one of the most prominent charac- 
teristics of the good part of my nature, I am always afraid 
that I have a compensating amount of rancour. I have 
never forgotten a service or a friendly word, but I have 
perhaps too often remembered an insult or an unkind 
remark. Thank heaven, my rancour does not go the length 
of revenge, but I suffer for it all the same. I know nothing 
so miserable in the world as bearing malice, and, silent and 
inoffensive as I remain externally, the feeling rankles within 
and I am quite upset by it. 

Unfortunately, I have had only too many occasions to 
scrutinise, analyse, and dissect my moral self. Who is there 
who has not a chronic moral malady, like a chronic physical 
one .'' And who is there who, having passed a certain age, 
is not or ought not to be well aware of the rules he should 
follow, for the good of his soul, no less than his body ? 

Valen^ay, November 4, 1834. — I have just returned from an 



BLOIS loa 

expedition which we made to Blois and its neighbourhood 
with our English friends, who were going back to Paris. The 
day before yesterday, we visited Chambord which seemed, 
as it in fact is, bizarre, original, full of interest and rich in 
detail. It is situated in an ugly country, and is in a 
deplorable state. The window of the oratory of Diane de 
Poitiers, on which Francis I. wrote his impertinent couplet 
about women,^ is still there, but the panes are broken. The 
verses were not creditable to a chivalrous monarch. 

The place where the Bourgeois gentilhomme was first acted 
before Louis XIV. also exists, as well as the table on which 
the body of Marshal Saxe, who died at Chambord, was 
opened and embalmed. It is in fact the only piece of 
furniture left in the Chateau. 

We got back to Blois rather late, and yesterday morning 
we visited the castle, which is now a barracks, and certainly 
one of the most interesting monuments of France. The 
four sides are in four separate styles of architecture. The 
oldest part dates from the time of Stephen of Blois, King of 
England of the Plantagenet stock. The second oldest dates 
from Louis XII. and bears his emblem, the hedgehog, with 
the motto : Qui iy frotte s'y pique. Then comes the part 
built by Francis I. with its Renaissance elegance. It was 
here that the Due de Guise was murdered, that Catherine de 
Medicis died, and here too is the hall where the celebrated 
States General of Blois assembled. You are shown the fire- 
place where the body of the Due de Guise was consumed, 
and the dimgeon where the Cardinal and the Archbishop of 
Lyons were imprisoned, the little niche where Henri III. 
placed the monks whom he ordered to pray for the success of 
the assassination, and the room where the widow of John 
Sobieski died. Lastly, the fourth side was built by Gaston 
d'Orleans in the style of the Tuileries, and was never finished. 
Near the castle is an old pavilion in which were the baths 
of Catherine de Medicis, and not far off is a shed which served 
as a retreat for the favourites of Henri III. 

1 Souvent femme varie 
Bieu fol est qui s'y fie. 



194 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

On returning here from this excursion, I heard the sad 
news of the death of Princess Tyszkiewicz, which took place 
the day before yesterday at Tours. I had to break the news 
to M. de Talleyrand. At his age such losses afflict the 
mind more than the heart, for they seem rather a personal 
warning than a sorrow. He was more startled than I ; I 
was more affected than he, for I had a real affection for the 
Princess, and I was very grateful to her for all that she was 
to me long ago. Though she had survived herself, I cannot 
think without pain of the part of the past which is buried 
with her, for when one loses friends one loses not only them 
but a part of one's self. 

M. de Talleyrand agreed with me that we could not allow 
this poor but illustrious lady, the niece of the last King of 
Poland, and only sister to the unfortunate Marshal Prince 
Poniatowski, to be laid to rest among strangers. She will 
be buried at Valen^ay. 

A letter from Paris which came last night says, " nothing 
is settled about the Ministry. The thing grows ridiculous, 
and the intrigues show no signs of stopping. The day 
before yesterday it was thought that everything was settled, 
and that Thiers was going off to Valen^ay, but yesterday all 
was changed and things are as they were. There has never 
been such a dissolving force as Thiers ; his oratorical gifts 
are costing us dear, but some conclusion must be reached. 
M. de Rigny is quite ready to retire, M. Guizot is still 
supporting Broglie for the Presidency of the Council, and 
Thiers is backing Mole."" 

Valeni^ay, November 6, 1834. — The other day M. Iloyer- 
CoUard told me something that is very amusing because it is 
so characteristic of him. He said that the second Madame 
Guizot was reproaching him vigorously with having re- 
pudiated all religion, and with having refused to be its patron 
and protector. She said that by complaining, as he did, 
that he was claimed by the religious party, he caused much 
embarrassment to its members. She therefore begged him 
to cease attacking them and turning them to ridicule on 
every occasion, as he was in the habit of doing. " Ah, 



A PREMIER'S DEATH-BED 195 

Madame ! "" he replied, " you wish then that I should leave 
the public in error, and thus deprive myself of my only 
consolation, and my only chance of revenge." She was 
furious. The one thing which annoys M. Royer-CoUard, 
(and it annoys him very much) is Guizot and all his works. 
This annoyance is perhaps not altogether unfounded. He 
has no love for M. de Broglie whose lofty virtue did not 
seem to him adequate to the circumstances which recently 
arose, and as for Madame de Broglie he likes her even less, 
because her piety does not preserve her from any of the 
agitations of public life, and is even compatible with political 
intrigue. The contrast involved in this is displeasing to him. 

Valeii^ay November 7, 1834. — Here is an anecdote which 
is quite authentic, having been told me by an eye witness, 
and which struck me very much. M. Casimir-Perier, as is 
well known, died of cholera. Besides this he was completely 
out of his mind during the last ten days of his life ; a 
tendency to insanity had already revealed itself in several 
members of his family. Well, several hours before his 
death two of his colleagues in the Ministry, with two of 
his brothers, were talking in a corner of the room of the 
embarrassment which the arrival of Madame la Duchesse de 
Berry was causing in la Vendee, of the resulting difficulties 
for the Government, of what ought to be done, and of the 
responsibility involved in doing it, and of the fear and 
reluctance every one had in assuming this responsibility. This 
conversation was suddenly interrupted by the sick man who sat 
up in bed and exclaimed : " Oh if only the President of the 
Council were not mad ! " Then he fell back on the pillow and 
was silent. He died shortly afterwards. Is not this striking, 
and does it not make one shudder as one does at King Lear 9 

Valengai/, November 9, 1834. — I went to Chateauvieux 
yesterday to see M. Royer-CoUard. He had received letters 
from several of the Ministers who have resigned. From 
these he understands that no sooner were the five resigna- 
tions sent in than they were politely accepted. The King 
sent for M. Mole, and entrusted him with the Presidency of 
the Council, and the task of recomposing the whole Cabinet. 



196 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

M. Mole asked for twenty-four hours to consider matters, 
and to see whom he could persuade to act with him. 
However, as everybody declined to share the task, he was 
himself compelled to withdraw, and so the whole situation 
has again become vague, and perhaps impossible. 

Almost all the papers have again broken out against 
M. de Talleyrand. Some say he is dead, some that he 
is ill in mind and body, others insult him grossly and 
foully. M. Royer-Collard explains this new access of 
savagery to the fear that the Presidency of the Council will 
be offered to M. de Talleyrand and accepted by him. It 
seems that many people, struck by the absence of good men, 
wish the King to look to us, and that the terror which this 
inspires in certain others envenoms all that they do, or say, 
or write. It is a melancholy privilege to be the last resort 
of some people and the object of the detestation of others, 
and that at an age when the need of rest should be the ruling 
consideration, and the one aim in all things should be to 
make a good end. 

Valen^ay, November 10, 1834. — Here is an extract from 
a letter from M. Royer-Collard received yesterday : " I will 
say in all seriousness to M. de Talleyrand that, after four 
years absence, I am not surprised that he attaches more 
importance to newspaper articles than they now possess. 
He does not know how much the prestige of the press, like 
all other kinds of prestige, is worn out. Any one who 
replied to a newspaper after the lapse of a day or two, 
would not be understood ; the occasion would be forgotten. 
Violent language can no longer either exalt or abase any 
one. Amid torrents of praise or abuse one remains exactly 
where one was before. It is the characteristic of this evil 
age. 

" No, nothing is settled at Paris, because nothing that will 
pass muster is possible. Here are seen the natural conse- 
quences of the last revolution. M, de Talleyrand was 
clever enough and fortunate enough to turn it to his glory, 
but he could not repeat the miracle. His last piece of 
ingenuity must be to choose the right moment for the end, 



A TRANSIENT MINISTRY 197 

I had almost said for breaking both with England and 
France, as this year has made them. I often come back to 
the idea that last year was the time he should have gone 
and put himself in a position of safety. It was natural to 
make the mistake ; I made it myself. You, Madame la 
Duchesse, alone were right. From this very arm-chair from 
which I am writing to you to-day, I was blind enough to 
combat you, knowing nothing about it. You alone were in 
a position to know and to judge. I was wrong ; this is yet 
another piece of homage which I am anxious to pay you." 

Valen^ay^ November 11, 1834. — Mr. Damer writes from 
Paris as follows : " Have you heard a horrible story relating 
to Madame and Mile, de Morell, the sister and the niece of 
M. Charles de Mornay, of something which happened at the 
Military School at Saumur. A young man of that town 
called M. dela Ronciere, not a particularly high-minded person, 
fell in love with Madame de Morell, who may, or may not, 
have given him some encouragement. I don't know exactly 
whether she did or not, but finally she dismissed him. On 
this he vowed vengeance, and transferred his attentions to 
the daughter, a young girl of seventeen. He wrote her 
frequent threatening letters, saying he would kill her father 
and mother if she did not listen to him, and one night she 
was found in a condition which amounted to insanity. On 
hearing of her condition, the young man fled from the 
school, but has since been arrested. He then produced 
letters, whether genuine or not, which he says were written 
to him by the mother and daughter, and which are exceed- 
ingly compromising. They say Charles de Mornay has 
come to Paris about this afikir." ^ 

Valen^ay^ November 12, 1834. — A letter written the day 
before yesterday from Paris, while the King was signing, in 
the next room, the order creating the new Ministry, which 
was too late to appear in the morning papers yesterday, 

1 It ended in a criminal trial, which attracted much attention. Emile 
de la Ronciere was tried by Jury at Angers in 1835, and, in spite of the 
ability of his counsel, Maitre Chaix-d'Est-Ange, he was condemned to ten 
years' penal servitude. In 1843 King Louis Philippe remitted the twQ 
years be had still to serve. 



198 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

arrived in the evening. The names are unexpected and 
almost new. If this were the case with all of them, it 
might not perhaps much matter, but one name is that of 
the Due de Bassano, who grew grey in the splendours of the 
Empire, and who has been blamed for its fall. Another is 
that of M. Bresson, who will probably create a sensation and 
who, in the article of improbability, would have deserved 
the celebrated letter on the marriage of M. de Lauzun. I 
need not set down what we Londoners thought who witnessed 
the birth, ruin, and resuscitation of this person, all of which 
took place in such bewilderingly rapid succession. It is also 
needless to say that this arrangement of the Ministry puts 
an end to all M. de Talleyrand's irresolution, and will give 
wings to his resignation of the London Embassy. 

Valen<^ay^ November 13, 1834. — Here is the impression 
produced on M. Royer-Collard by the new phase of the 
Ministry. " But this is a Polignac Cabinet ! I expected 
anything rather than this adventure. I am much surprised 
that M. Passy, who is a man of parts with a future before 
him, should have enrolled himself in that troupe. The 
former Cabinet is now thrown into opposition, but whether 
it attacks or treacherously supports the new one, it is making 
a path for itself back to power. It seems inevitable to me 
that it will return."" " Adventure " is indeed the right word ! 

Valen^ay, November 16, 1834. — We learned by last 
nighfs post that the fancy Ministry had literally lived 
" ce que vivent les roses, Tespace d\m matin."" The com- 
parison is not outrageous. On the evening of the 13th, 
MM. Teste and Passy handed the King their resignations, 
which they explained by a reference to the pecuniary 
position of the Due de Bassano. It was inevitable that 
these resignations should be followed by others, and, as a 
matter of fact, M. Charles Dupin came and offered his the 
following morning. On this, M. de Bassano recognised that 
it was all up. 

On the day before yesterday, the 14 th, at four in the 
afternoon, nothing was arranged, or planned, or hoped. 
What a cruel and deplorable situation for the King ! If 



M. DE TALLEYRAND RESIGNS 199 

one wanted to put this Ministerial crisis into a play, it 
would not be possible to apply the twenty-four hours rule ! 

I think the conduct of MM. Teste and Passy was unpardon- 
able. It appears that it was they who had insisted at first 
that the Due de Bassano should have the Presidency of the 
Council and the Ministry of the Interior, and certainly they 
did not then learn for the first time of M. de Bassano's 
financial position, which for two years has been well known 
to every one. 

Valen^ay, November 18, 1834. — Here is the most impor- 
tant passage of a letter written yesterday by M. de Talleyrand 
to Madame Adelaide. " What a relief ! I cordially thank 
Marshal Mortier for having accepted the Presidency of the 
Council ! I would fain follow his example and mount the 
breach once more, but for me England is out of the question. 
I should like Vienna doubtless in many ways, and, besides, 
it would suit Madame de Dino who, with all her devotion to 
me, is very sorry to leave London, where she was so much 
appreciated. But at my age one no longer seeks business so 
far afield. If it was only a question of a special mission to 
a congress, such as those of Verona or Aix-la-Chapelle, I 
should be delighted. And if such a case arises, as is by no 
means improbable, and the King thinks me still capable of 
representing France, let him issue his orders and I will leave 
instantly, only too happy to devote my last days to his 
service. A permanent mission, however, is now no longer 
possible for me, and especially not at Vienna where twenty 
years ago I represented the Restoration. Has Your Royal 
Highness thought of that circumstance, especially with 
reference to Charles X. and Madame la Dauphine, who often 
comes to Vienna, and who there receives all the honours 
due to her rank, her misfortunes and her near relationship 
to the Imperial family ? In England, the Bourbons of 
the elder branch are merely private persons. In Austria 
they are Princes and almost pretenders. For the King's 
ambassador this makes an enormous difference which this or 
that person might not perhaps feel, but which is decisive for 
me, across whose career 1 8 1 4 is Avritten in large characters. No, 



200 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Madame, there is now no other life for me but that of frank 
and complete retirement in privacy and simplicity. Perfidy 
alone can accuse me of any arriere pensee ; at my age one 
occupies one's self only with memories/ . . ." 

The Journal des Dehats announces M. de Talleyrand's 
resignation,^ and for its own purposes tries to connect it with 
the Bassano Ministry. Assuredly, of all explanations this 
might have been the most plausible, but it has nothing to do 
with any of the people whose names have occupied the atten- 
tion of the public during the last fortnight. The event might 
have been recorded in a more sincere and dignified way, 

1 This letter, of which only a part is quoted here, was given entire by 
the Comtesse de Mirabeau in her book Le Prince de Talleyravd et la Maison 
d' Orlianfi, and may also be found in Volume V. of the Mimoires du Prince 
de Talleyrand, which were published in 1892. 

2 Here is the full text of M. de Talleyrand's letter of resignation, which 
I give though it has already appeared in the Mdmoires : 

" To the Minister of loreign Affairs. 

"Monsieur le Ministeb, 

"When the King's confidence called me, four years ago, to the 
Embassy at London the very difficulty of the task made it a duty to obey, 
and I believe I have secured in a manner useful to France and to his 
Majesty two interests which I have always in mind. The peace of Europe 
has been preserved throughout those years, and this has simplified all our 
relations with foreign Powers. Our policy, formerly isolated, is now linked 
with that of other nations ; it has been accepted, appreciated, and respected 
by honest men of every country. The co-operation of England, which we 
have obtained, has cost us nothing in independence, and has never offended 
our national susceptibilities. Such has been our respect for the rights of 
every one, such has been the frankness of our methods that, far from 
inspiring distrust, it is our guarantee which is now being sought against 
the propagandist spirit which is perturbing the older Europe. It is un- 
doubtedly to the merits and abilities of the King that we must attribute 
results so satisfactory. For myself, I make no other claim than to have been 
the first to divine the profound idea underlying his Majesty's policy, and 
to have announced it to others whom subsequent events have persuaded of 
the truth of my words. But now that Europe knows and admires the 
King, and that , for this very rea son, the principal difl5culties are surmounted ; 
now that England has perhaps as great need as we of our mutual alli- 
ance, and the line she seems disposed to take requires a mind whose 
traditions are less old-fashioned than mine ; now I think that, without any 
want of devotion to the King and to my country, I may respectfully beg 
his Majesty to accept my resignation ; and I beg you, M. le Ministre, to 
be so good as to present it to him. My great age and the infirmities which 
are its natural consequence, the repose which it demands and the thoughts 
which it suggests, make this step a very natural one and justify it only 
too well, making it, indeed, no less than my duty. I trust to the justice 
and kindness of the King to judge. u j avail &c. 

" Valengay, November 13, 1834." " Le Peince de Talleyrand. 

This letter was published in the Moniteur Universcl of January 7, 1835. 



THE NEW ENGLISH CABINET 201 

but party spirit distorts everything for its own ends. 
Never mind, we need bother our heads about it no longer ! 

It is stated that, during the Ministerial crisis, M. de 
Kigny behaved with great propriety, firmness and dignity. 
This was not so with everybody, and here is a detail the 
authenticity of which is certain. At the celebrated Council 
of ten days ago, when every one threw off the mask and M. 
Guizot tried to impose M. de Broglie on the King as Minister 
of Foreign Affairs, the King raised his hand and said, " this 
hand will never sign a decree recalling M. de Broglie to 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs." Then M. Guizot called 
upon the King to state why he refused. " Because he 
nearly embroiled me with all Europe," was the reply, "and 
if any attempt is made to force my hand I will speak 
out."" " And we. Sire," returned M. Guizot, " will write." 
Has the like ever been heard of? And after this is it 
possible that the same people can again assemble round the 
same green table to regulate the destinies of Europe ? 

Valen^ay, November 19, 1834. — We heard last night by 

letter from London of the great event of the change of 

Ministry in England and the return of the Tories to 

power.^ This morning did not pass without a despatch 

rider from the King, who brought a letter in His Majesty"'s 

own hand and one from Mademoiselle. These letters are 

full of caresses, prayers and supplications. My name 

even, which is frequently repeated, is invoked. Every kind 

of pressure is brought to bear on M. de Talleyrand, to 

resume his Embassy. The Prince Royal writes to me in 

this sense in the most pressing manner, and all the other 

letters we received by this post are in this key. Mrs. 

Dawson Darner writes that she hopes that the change of 

Ministry in England will induce M. de Talleyrand to 

withdraw his resignation, and that the Queen of England 

will never forgive me if it is otherwise. Lady Clanricarde 

says that she is all the more afraid that the Tories may 

1 The Whig Cabinet of Lord Melbourne fell on November 15, and was 
replaced by a Tory Ministry which was not destined to last more than 
three months. The Premier was Sir Eobert Peel, and the Duke of Welling- 
ton replaced Lord Palmerstpn at the ip'oreign Office. 



202 DUC HESSE DE DINO 

fail in their task, as the result would be that England 
would again fall into the clutches of Lord Durham, and 
that she sees only one agreeable feature in the situation, 
which is the practical certainty of my return to London. 
This is very gracious but not convincing, 

M. de Rigny writes excusing himself for his long silence. 
He seems to me much disgusted by the events of the last 
fortnight, and not very hopeful about the future of the 
French Ministry, though M. Humann has accepted office, and 
the process of patching-up is complete. He adds the regu- 
lation passage about the impossibility of our not returning to 
London, and the King''s positive wishes in the matter 

M. Raullin, from his little corner, also thinks it necessary 
to swell the chorus. He says that Madame de Broglie's doctri- 
naires are of the same opinion, but all this coterie, like the 
Bourse and the Boulevards, are very much agitated by the news 
from England. He tells me some amusing things about the 
Due de Bassano and M. Humann. The courier sent after 
the latter found him at Bar, and he said he would not answer 
till he got to Strasbourg. I like this Alsatian phlegm. 

It is also said that Admiral Duperre is very coy about 
accepting the Ministry of Marine. Till yesterday morning 
there were ministers only in petto. M. de Bassano was 
imperturbably signing things and working with great ardour 
at the Ministry of the Interior. 

M. de Talleyrand has also received a great many letters. 
M. Pasquier, in reply to a letter of excuses for not being able 
to be present at the case,^ insinuates a phrase about the 
immense services he is still called upon to render. Madame 
de Jaucourt writes a few lines, at the dictation of M. de Rigny 
saying, " Come, we can't do without you, and save us." 
Finally M. de Montrond, who has said nothing for a long 
time, writes that the news from England has fallen on every 
one like a flood of boiling-water. Every one is distracted, 
and Lord Granville takes the change in his country much 
amiss. He also says he is commanded by the King to make 
us understand the necessity/ of our return to England, and 
1 Of Armand Carrel, of the National. 



A CHORUS OF APPLAUSE 203 

that MM. Thiers and de Rigny look upon it as their one 
hope of salvation. 

Valen(^ay^ November 24, 1834. — M. de Talleyrand fortu- 
nately refuses to withdraw his resignation, but such is the 
singular prestige which he enjoys that stocks go up and down 
at Paris according to the greater or less probability of his 
departure for London. Letters from all parte call on him 
to come to the rescue, and any number of people whom we 
do not even know by name, write to beg him not to abandon 
France. The reason is twofold. The French public will 
never regard the Duke of Wellington as anything else but 
an ogre, or M. de Talleyrand as anything but a person 
whom the Devil will carry off some day, but who in 
the meantime, owing to an unholy bargain with the Prince 
of Darkness, has the power of bewitching the Universe. 
How idiotic it all is ! The public is so credulous in its 
beliefs, so cruel in its revenge and its injustice ! 

Valen^ay November 27, 1834. — A letter from the King 
came yesterday, in reply to that in which M. de Talleyrand 
persisted in his resignation, and among other things contained 
the following : " My dear Prince, I have never seen anything 
more perfect, more honourable, or better expressed than the 
letter which I have just received from you. It has deeply 
touched me. No doubt it costs me much to recognise the 
justice of most of the reasons which make you refuse to return 
to London, but I am too sincere, and too much the friend of 
my friends not to say that you are right." ^ 

This exordium is followed by a new invitation to come to 
Paris with all speed to talk over everything. M. Bresson 
writes to M. de Talleyrand a very witty and clever letter, 
in which he begs him to be so kind as to write him all the 
witticisms with which his sudden apotheosis will no doubt have 
inspired him. He is anxious not to miss a single one. 

M. de Montrond writes that the King says there can be 

nothing finer than M. de Talleyrand's letter, and that his 

reasoning is conclusive. For the rest, they are in great 

1 This letter, of which only the beginning is given here, is dated 
November 25, and is quoted in full in Le Prince de Talleyrand et la Maison 
d'Orlians, and also in Volume V. of the Prince's Memoirest 



204 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

embarrassment, and look back to Marshal Soult with regret, 
and are even seeking to get him back. A new ignominy for 
our little Ministers ! It appears that the Army is in a state 
of disorganisation. 

The Poles who came here for the funeral of the Princess 
Tyszkiewicz are saying kind things about us, it appears, in 
Paris. Valen9ay is approved of only by the Prince 
Royal, being opposed by the Flahaut influence. M. de 
Montrond is furious at the kind things which are being 
said about Valen^ay, which he has always treated with 
ridicule. 

Valen^ay, December 1, 1834. — When I was passing 
through Paris three months ago I saw M. Daure who, in 
very bad company, was writing in the Constitutionnel, and 
seemed to me to be in very poor circumstances. I offered 
him my interest with M. Guizot to get him employment in 
the researches into the ancient manuscripts and charters of 
the South, with which the Ministry of Public Instruction is 
occupied. I went so far as to make an application on his 
behalf, which was well received. I left for Valen^ay and 
heard no more of M. Daure, nor of his application, till a 
fortnight ago, when I heard from M. Guizot that Daure had 
been nominated to the place for which I had applied. I at 
once wrote to Daure, forwarding the Minister''s letter, but, 
not knowing his address, made inquiries at Paris which 
remained without result, and my letter was awaiting some 
light on the whereabouts of the poor man, when yesterday 
evening I received two letters with the Montauban post- 
mark ; one in Daure''s handwriting, the other in a hand- 
\vriting unknown to me, which I opened first. It was from 
an abbe, a friend of Daure, who in accordance with his last 
wishes, informs me of his death — and what a death ! He 
has committed suicide ! Daure*'s own letter, written shortly 
before his mad act, touched me deeply, and I will even say, 
made me very proud. He refers to the people whom he 
liked in London. I blame myself very much for not asking 
him to come here this year ; it would probably have turned 
}iim aside from this dreadfql end, 



A TRAGIC INCIDENT 205 

It recurred to my mind last night that last autumn, at 
Rochecotte, while walking alone with him on the way to 
visit my schools I spoke to him of his future, and lectured 
him about his carelessness and extravagance. He replied 
with much gratitude, and begging me not to be at all 
anxious about him as he had a resource in reserve of 
which he could not speak to any one, which he had prepared 
long since, and which he would have if everything else failed. 
He was not, he said, so improvident as he seemed, and was 
as jfree as possible from anxiety about the future. I thought 
he meant that he had saved a little money — fool that I was ! 
He killed himself at the very moment that we were binrying 
poor Princess Tyszkiewicz here. What a sad November it 
has been ! 

Here is a little piece of politics taken from one of yester- 
day's letters. " The position of the French Ministers will be 
decided in a week. They intend to seize the first opportunity 
(which will not be long in coming) to speak frankly of all 
they have done and all that has happened, so as to make their 
position tolerable, or else to go out. They have had their 
fill of degradation and do not wish to remain in power any 
longer on the present conditions. They must see what the 
Chamber means to do and what its attitude will be. There 
was some talk of a speech from the Throne but they decided 
that this would not do, and I think they were right." 

Valen^ay, December 2, 1834 — I am on the eve of a new 
trouble — the probable death of the Duke of Gloucester, which 
will be a real sorrow. How should I not mourn one whose 
esteem, confidence and friendship were so sincere and so 
thoroughly tried ? 

I hear from Paris that the new Ambassador in London 
will not be appointed till Sir Robert Peel has constituted 
his Government. Sir Robert, it is thought, was to pass 
through Paris yesterday. Another reason for not making 
the appointment for a week or ten days is that no one would 
dream of accepting it till there is some light on the fate of 
the French Ministry which is most uncertain. The slackness 
of Deputies in attending the Chamber is attracting attention 



20G DUCHESSE DE DINO 

ns a syrnptoin of their disinclination to interest themselves 
in the (juarrcls of the Ministers. These cjuarrels are subter- 
ranean but very real. Tliere is always the same revolt 
against the arrogant pedantry of some and the tangled 
intrigues of others ; it is only their fear of the Chamber 
which keeps them together at all. 

They say the King is much depressed, and perhaps his 
Cabinet owe their remaining in office to the fact that he is 
as much afraid of the Chamber as they are. I hear that 
there is nmch ridicule of a letter from M. Bresson in reply 
to a remark of the Quotidknnc. " M. Bresson," writes a 
friend, " has been giving us his genealogy and has been 
telling us that he has been an important person from the 
day when he handed the despatches to ' the unfortunate and 
too much misunderstood Bolivar,' to that on which he nearly 
became Minister of Foreign Affairs ! We are very fortunate 
to be represented at Berlin by so considerable a personage ! 
Can you understand this mania for writing to the news- 
papers ? And can you wonder that the importance of the 
press is so great ? *" 

M. de Tallyrand is (juite furious because diplomatic 
connnunications are being bandied about at tlie Bourse and 
the Opera. This as well as many other things makes it 
impossible to serve some people. 

Paris, Dcccmhcr 7, 1834. — Herti we are back in Paris, 
whose exhausting and unquiet life is so bad both for 
M. de Talleyrand and for me. Yesterday we were already 
overwhelmed with visits and social duties. 

At twelve I received M. Royer-Collard who, on his way to 
the Chamber, called to ask for me. He only came in and 
went out again, and the real object of his visit was, I think, 
to discharge a connnission for M. Mole. The latter asked 
him to tell me that he wished to come to our house again, 
but on the first occasion to come to see only me and to see me 
alone. This meeting is fixed for tomorrow, Monday, between 
four and five. 

M. lloyer-Collard gone, M. le Due d'Orleans arrived, and 
hardly had he sat down when he began to discuss a piece of 



LORD BKOUGHAM IN PARIS 207 

Madame de Flahaufs gossip. It all passed off" with great good 
temper and good manners, but I don't think I surrendered 
any of my advantages. I was quiet and restrained, without 
the slightest traee of animosity. This was my chief position : 
" Madame de Flahaufs remarks about me do not affect me. 
I pay no attention to them. It is impossible that two 
people whose circles, habits and positions are so different as 
ours, could ever come to ({uarrelling, or that I could be 
offended by her. What offends n)e is the harm she is doing 
you, Monseigneur." — " But my principal reason for liking her 
is that nobody else does." — " Oh, if you reckon it propor- 
tionately on that principle your Royal Highness must simply 
adore her ! "" We burst out laughing and the matter 
rested there. 

He spoke of another subject, namely, how wrong it was of 
him not to write to us for so long after his visit to Valen^ay. 
I replied, " Monseigneur, in view of the great age of M. de 
Talleyrand it was not very good manners on your part, but 
you have a frank and graceful way of doing things which 
makes one charmed to forgive you." 

He then came to general (questions. He is much em- 
barrassed and troubled by his present situation, aimoyed 
with his dear friend IJupin for the curious way in which he 
treated the Monarchy last night, and astonished at Lord 
Brougham, of whom he tells the following story. On the 
day of Lord Brougham's arrival in Paris, M. le Due d'Orleans 
met him at Lord Granville's Unsuitable as the place was, 
in my opinion, for such a topic, the conversation turned on 
the Amnesty of which the ex-Chancellor declared himself a 
violent partisan. The Due d'Orleans disputed this view but 
without apparently convincing him. 'Jlie following day at 
the Tuileries Lord Brougham drew a paper from his pocket 
and, showing a corner of it to the Prince Royal, said, " Here 
are my reffections on the Amnesty which I am going to show 
to the King." This of course was another piece of ill-breed- 
ing on the part of a foreigner, but he did in fact hand the 
paper to His Majesty. It was found to be a violent 
argument against the Amnesty ! When mobility reaches 



208 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

a certain point it is, I think, an evident symptom of 
insanity ! 

M. le Due d'Orleans concluded his visit by trying to make 
me feel that M. de Talleyrand was under an imperative 
obligation to attach himself in a public manner to the 
Government. I replied by a reference to the state of his legs. 
We parted on the best of terms. 

When I came down again I found the Entresol crowded. 
There was Frederick Lamb, Pozzo, Mollien, Bertin de Veaux, 
and General Baudrand. In spite of the great variety of 
opinions represented they talked as freely of everything as if 
they had been in the street. The most animated was Pozzo, 
who poured scorn inconceivable on the French Ministry, 
pitying the King and speaking very well of him, bemoaning 
the embarrassment of his Ambassadors in foreign countries 
which is caused by what is going on here, and much annoyed by 
certain passages in a speech delivered last night by M. Thiers. 

Later on we dined with Count Mollien, where there were 
M. Pasquier, Baron Louis, Bertin de Veaux and M. de Rigny, 
who came late and brought news of the vote of the Chamber, 
which is favourable if you like, but which will cost the 
Ministry dear, and from which, as M. de Rigny at least has 
the sense to see, nothing can be predicted as to the course of 
the Session. 

It appears that after a speech by M. Sauzet, which is said 
to have been admirable, the House wavered and the Ministry 
gave themselves up for lost. M. Thiers feared to put it 
to the touch, but finally did so almost in despair. He 
spoke, it is said, miraculously, and sent everybody on the other 
tack. His speech the night before had been a fiasco, and 
the English were furious with him on account of his strange, 
and, indeed, inexcusable phrase about England. Yesterday, 
however, he seems to have triumphed completely. 

Here is a curious fact of which I am quite certain. M. 
Dupin had promised the King three days ago to support 
the order of the day. The day before yesterday he voted 
against it ; yesterday again he spoke against it but voted ^br 
it. Why ? Because after M. Sauzefs speech the Ministers 



SIR ROBERT PEEL IN PARIS 209 

thought they were lost, and said to M. Dupin : " M. le Presi- 
dent, prepare yourself to go to the King and have your 
Cabinet ready, for, in an hour from now, we shall have 
resigned." M. Dupin, much upset, said : " but I didn't 
think that all this would be so serious ; I have no wish 
to see you fall, for I do not at all desire that the burden 
should again fall on my shoulders." With these words he 
tried to escape and leave the Vice-President in his place, 
when Thiers taking him by the arm said : " No, M. le 
President, you shall not go till the question is settled ; if 
it goes against us you will go nowhere else but to the 
King where you will be condemned to be Minister." 

This, no doubt, is very interesting, but what an atmo- 
sphere ! What people ! 

Pam, December 8, 1834. — Yesterday, when I got back 
at four, I was astonished to see the Due d'Orleans, whom I 
supposed to be already on his way to Brussels. He was 
not to leave, however, for another hour, and he came to tell 
me that Sir Robert Peel had passed through Paris, and had 
sent his brother to him (the Due d'Orleans) as an intimate 
friend, to beg him to make his excuses to the King for not 
requesting the honour of an audience. His Majesty would, 
however, easily understand that in the circumstances hours 
were centuries. We drew two conclusions from this : first, 
that Sir Robert Peel had decided to accept the Premiership, 
for an ordinary private individual would not have considered 
himself of sufficient importance to send such a message ; 
secondly, that the courtesy of his language proved a feeling 
rather friendly to France than the reverse. 

Speaking of Sir Robert Peel, I had a letter from him 
yesterday, written from Rome, about the Bassano Ministry, 
very civil and kind in its terms, in which he says that what 
alarms him most in this combination is that it may prevent 
M. de Talleyrand from returning to London. 

Paris, December 9, 1834. — Frederick Lamb, who came 
to see me yesterday morning, told me several curious things. 
He gave me a worse idea than ever of Lord Palmerston ; 
incredible details, for instance, on his conduct with regard 



210 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

to the Eastern Question, and many other matters of which 
in London we could only form a superficial opinion. He 
told me that at the time of the quarrel between England 
and Russia about Sir Stratford Canning, Madame de Lieven 
had wanted the matter to be arranged so that Frederick 
Lamb should go to St. Petersburg and Sir Stratford Canning 
to Vienna. This was proposed to Prince Metternich, who 
replied : " This arrangement will arrange nothing, for the 
one ambassador whom we will never agree to accept is Sir 
Stratford Canning.'" 

He told me also that M. de Metternich said of Lord 
Palmerston : " He is a tyrant, and the age of tyrants is 
over." 

Frederick Lamb detests Lord Granville, but he does not 
believe that the Tory Cabinet will succeed, though he does 
not think that the Radicals will necessarily be their successors. 
He thinks Lord Grey will come back, and is looking for 
means to extrude Lord Palmerston and Lord Holland. Like 
Pozzo and M. Mole, he says extraordinary things of M. de 
Broglie. If we may believe them, no one ever made such 
blunders. 

When I got back yesterday, at four, I received M. Mole. 
It all passed off as if we had parted only yesterday. He 
spoke to me, as he used to do, of himself, his affections, 
friends, attitude of mind — all with the charm which is 
peculiar to him. He told me that I was much more 
amiable even than I was four years ago, and he stayed 
nearly an hour. I have always thought that nobody's con- 
versation is so good, so rapid, or so agreeable as his. He is 
in very good taste in an age in which good taste is unknown. 
Perhaps he is not high-souled enough to rule, but he is 
high-minded enough to refuse to be degraded, and that is 
already much. 

Many names, many facts and deeds, were passed in review 
during that hour, and I was much pleased with the natural 
manner in which he approached every topic. He told me 
that my mind was so just that even those who feared my 
enmity were reassured ; and, in fact, all went off excellently. 



DIPLOMATIC ANECDOTES 211 

I am not sure that this will be so between M. de Talleyrand 
and him. I have undertaken to arrange a meeting, and 
both parties have begged me to be present at this first 
interview, which is rather amusing. 

M. Mole told me that he yesterday refused an invitation 
to dine with M. Dupin on the ground that the latter had 
given a distorted version in the tribune of the purely un- 
official relations between them a fortnight ago. M. Mole 
added that he had no thoughts of the English Embassy — as 
some people were saying — for he did not wish to accept 
anything from the present Ministry. 

He never sees the Due de Broglie at all now. He thinks 
Rayneval is the only possible Ambassador for London just 
now, and intends to speak about it to the King, with whom 
he says he is on very good terms. He is scarcely on bowing 
terms with Guizot, and his relations with Thiers are very 
cold. 

Paris, December 10, 1834. — Yesterday evening M. de 
Talleyrand was overwhelmed with a procession of visitors. 
A great many things were said, of which the following 
seemed to me the best. 

They come from Frederick Lamb, who came first, and 
with whom we were for some time alone. He talked a 
great deal of M. de Metternich and of his remark made 
four months ago about King Louis Philippe : " I thought 
he was an intriguer, but now I see quite well he is a King." 
He also told us that on the day of the fall of the last 
English Ministry Lord Palmerston sent the news to the 
British charge d'affaires at Vienna, and asked him to 
acquaint M. de Metternich, adding : " You will never be in 
a position to make to M. de Metternich a communication 
which will give him more pleasure." The charge d'affaires 
took the despatch to the Prince, and for some unknown 
reason read the whole of it to him, including even this last 
phrase. M. de Metternich made the following reply, which, 
I think, is in very good taste : " Here is another proof of 
Lord Palmerston's ignorance of men and things. I cannot 
be pleased at an event the consequences of which I cannot yet 



212 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

measure. Tell him that I receive the news not with joy but 
with hope." 

Paris, December 12, 1834. — I dined yesterday at the 
Tuileries ; besides M. de Talleyrand, there were the 
Molliens, the Valen9ays, and Baron de Montmorency. I 
sat between the King and the Due de Nemours ; the 
last-named has conquered his shyness a little, but he is 
still very timid. He is as Avhite^ and blonde and pink and 
slim and transparent as a young girl, and not pretty in my 
opinion. 

No conversation could be more interesting than the 
King's, especially when, deserting politics, he plunges into 
the innumerable memories of his extraordinary life. I was 
struck by two anecdotes which he told extremely well, and 
though I fear I may spoil them in the repetition, I will put 
them down. There was in the room a portrait of M. de 
Biron, Due de Lauzun, which the King has just had copied 
from one lent him by M. de Talleyrand. This naturally 
led the talk to the original of the portrait, and the King 
told how, when he came back to Paris in 1814, he saw at 
his first reception an old man, who approached him and 
asked for a few minutes private conversation away from 
the crowd. The King placed himself in the embrasure of a 
window, and then the unknown drew from his pocket a ring 
mounted with the portrait of the Due d'Orleans, the King"'s 
father, and said : " When the Due de Lauzun was con- 
demned to death I was at the Revolutionary Tribunal, and 
as he was going out M. de Biron, whom I had met several 
times, stopped before me, and said : ' Monsieur, take this 
ring and promise me that if ever occasion offers you will 
give it to the children of M. le Due d'Orleans, assuring them 
that I die a faithful friend of their father and a devoted 
servant of their House.' " The King was naturally touched 
by the scrupulous fidelity with which after so many years 
the commission had been discharged, and asked the unknown 
his name. The latter refused, however, saying : " My name 
will not interest you, and might even awake painful memories. 
I have carried out the promise I made to a man about to 



ROYAL REMINISCENCES 213 

die. You will never see or hear of me again ; " and, in fact, 
he never reappeared. 

This is the second anecdote. When the present King 
was still in England with Louis XVIII. and the Comte 
d'Artois, the last-named insisted absolutely on his cousin 
wearing the uniform of the French emigres, and especially 
the white cockade. This the Due d'^Orleans persistently 
refused, and said he would never do. He appeared always 
in civil dress, which gave rise to many bitter discussions. In 
1814, the Due d'Orleans, following the whole of France, 
adopted the white cockade, and the Comte d'Artois took the 
uniform of Colonel-General of the National Guard. The 
first day on which the Due d'Orleans appeared at the 
Comte d'Artois', the latter said to him, " Give me your 
hat." He took it, turned it over, and, playing with the 
white cockade, said : " Ah, ah ! my dear cousin, what is this 
cockade ? I thought you were never going to wear it ? " 
" I thought so too. Monsieur ; and I thought also that you 
were never destined to wear the coat I see you in to-day. I 
am very sorry you have not adopted the cockade, which suits 
it best." " My dear fellow," replied Monsieur, " do not 
deceive yourself. A coat matters nothing. You may take 
it or leave it ; it is all the same. But a cockade is a 
different thing ; it is a party symbol, a rallying point ; and 
the symbol which you adopt must never be withdrawn." 
What I liked in the King, as he was pleased to recount this 
scene, was that he hastened to add : " Well, Madame, 
Charles X. was right, and what he said was cleverer than 
might have been expected." " What the King says is true," 
I replied. " Charles X.'s explanation was that of a man of 
honour and a gentleman, and it is certain that in him there 
was much of both." " Assuredly there was," added the 
King ; " and besides that he has a very good heart." I 
was very much pleased to see justice done to him in that 
quarter. 

At nine I went with Madame MoUien to the Comtesse de 
Boigne's. She had been to see me first, and had caused me 
to be told at Madame MoUien's that she would be much 



214 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

flattered if I would come and see her sometimes in the 
evening. Hers is the leading salon at present ; the one 
good house which belongs, I will not say to the Court, but 
to the Ministry, as that of Madame de Flahaut belongs to 
the Due d'Orleans, and that of Madame de Massa to the Court 
proper. There is no fourth. At Madame de Boigne's there is 
a reception every evening ; politics is the leading subject, 
and they talk of nothing else. The conversation seemed to 
me strained and rather embarrassing owing to the direct 
questions which the speakers rather indiscreetly hurled at 
each other. " Will the Duke of Wellington be able to go 
on ? " — " Do you think that Mr. Stanley will join Sir Robert 
Peel ? " — " Do you believe that a reconciliation between 
Lord Grey and Lord Brougham is possible ? " These are 
specimens of the interrogations with which I was naively 
assailed. I escaped by pleading absolute ignorance, con- 
cluding with a laugh by saying that I did not expect to 
have to solve questions of conscience on a festive occasion. 
The matter ended there, but I got a disagreeable impression 
in spite of the excessive graciousness of our hostess, and I 
was glad to get away. 

Paris, December 14, 1834. — Lady Clanricarde came to 
breakfast yesterday, and at half-past eleven we left for the 
Academie fran^aise. M. Thiers, who was being received, 
had secured the best places for us, which I was grateful to 
observe were far from those occupied by his family, who 
were with the Duchesse de Massa in an elevated gallery. In 
our neighbourhood there were only Madame de Boigne, M. and 
Madame de Rambuteau, Marshal Gerard, M. Mole, M. de 
Celles, and Madame de Castellane. The last-named has got 
stouter, heavier, and thicker, but she retains her pleasant 
face, the mobility of whose lower parts is so attractive. She 
seemed so delighted, so moved, and so touched on seeing me 
(I used to be intimate with her and knew all about her 
affairs, so much that the imprudence of her subsequent 
quarrel with me was incredible) that I was quite touched 
too, and we shook hands. She said, " May I come and see 
you again ? " and I answered, " Yes, with all my heart." 



M. THIERS ACADEMICIAN 215 

Here is the story. When the Tuileries were against me 
under the Restoration, Madame de Castellane turned against 
me, and, without thinking of the injury it was in my power 
to inflict on her, she broke with me. I was deeply hurt, 
because I was very fond of her ; but to revenge myself would 
have been mean, and, in spite of all my faults, I am 
incapable of doing anything so low as that would have been. 
I think that at the bottom of her heart she was grateful to 
me for having spared her. 

M. de Talleyrand, as a member of the Institute, came 
into the hall leaning on the arm of M. de Valen9ay. The 
effect of his entry was unbelievable. Every one rose with 
one accord in the galleries, as well as on the floor of the 
house, and this, no doubt, with a certain stirring of 
curiosity, but also with an impulse of respect, of which he 
was deeply sensible. I know that in spite of the crowd 
which obstructed the approaches every one made way for 
him. 

The sitting began at one. M. Thiers is so small that 
he entered without being seen, being surrounded by Ville- 
main, Cousin, and some others. No one noticed him till he 
stood up alone to begin his speech. He spoke with the 
best possible accent, and pronounced everything distinctly. 
His voice was sustained, and his gestures rare. He was not 
over voluble, and for the first few moments he was as pale 
as death and trembling from head to foot. This made a 
much better impression than if he had displayed the inso- 
lence with which he is often reproached. In spite of the 
disagreeable tone of his voice, he never offended the ear ; he 
was neither monotonous nor shrill ; and, in fact. Lady 
Clanricarde went so far as to think him splendid ! 

M. de Talleyrand and M. Royer-CoUard were opposite to 
him, and he seemed to speak only for them. His discourse 
was brilliant. I do not know whether it was precisely 
academic, though it was full of wit, of good taste, and fine 
language in certain places, but there is no doubt that it 
was political, and he spoke it much more as if it was an 
improvisation than as if it was a lecture. Certain of his 



216 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

movements, too, recalled the tribune, and on the audience 
the effect produced was much more parliamentary than 
literary, but always favourable and sometimes even enthu- 
siastic. M. de Talleyrand was quite moved, and M. Royer- 
Collard moved his wig up and down in a way that signified 
the most lively approbation ! The passage on calumny 
was spoken with a conviction and an intimacy which was 
contagious, and was received with a salvo of applause. 

The discourse is in the highest degree anti-revolutionary. 
He is orthodox in his literary principles, he is — and this is 
what I like in him above all — he is penetrated through and 
through with a sentiment of honesty which greatly pleased 
me, and which should be useful to M. Thiers throughout the 
remainder of his career. This fine speech did not require 
the tedious reply of M. Viennet to bring out its excellence ; 
no one listened to him, and he only succeeded in drawing 
attention to the fact that the hour was very late and that it 
was dreadfully hot. 

It is said that during M. Thiers' speech M. de Broglie 
was making merry jests. M. Guizot was cross, and not very 
well satisfied, I think, to see his rival make a double success 
— political and literary — in the same week. 

Paris, December 16, 1834. — Yesterday I paid several 
calls, and found Madame de Castellane in. She had missed 
me when she came to see me. She insisted on my hearing 
her history during the past twelve years ; and she tells it so 
well that I thought she must have had some practice in 
pouring it into the ears of others than myself in these cooing 
tones. She has lost all her youth, and is a large, short, 
squat person. Except for her smile, she is no longer the same 
person that I once knew — physically, that is. Morally, I 
thought she had made up her mind to be grave, rather than 
that she had become serious. She is witty and caressing as 
ever, and she talked a great deal ; I very little. My heart 
was full of many old memories ; and though she was kind 
I could not recover my old confidence in her. However, I 
received all she said well, and I am not sorry to be on good 
terms with her again. 



A STATE TKIAL 217 

Paris, December 17, 1834. — Yesterday I allowed myself 
to be persuaded to go with her to the Court of Peers. We 
sat, not in a conspicuous box, but in that of the Duchesse 
Decazes, which is in a retired position, and from which one 
can see and hear without being seen. I had never been 
there, the sittings not having been public till 1830. The 
proceedings of yesterday had been very much advertised and 
excited general curiosity, so the House was full. 

Whenever one comes to Paris one is always sure of finding 
some scandalous drama in progress for the amusement of the 
public. Yesterday it was the case against Armand Carrel of 
the National. 

M. Carrel did not at all correspond to my expectations. 
No doubt he was impertinent, but not with that kind of 
bold and energetic insolence, that verve and talent which 
impress you even while you are offended with the man him- 
self. The effect of the speech he had written was very 
feeble, and he made an impression which was positively 
painful when he tried to speak extempore. It was General 
Exelmans who vociferated about the assassination of Marshal 
Ney, and scandalised every one. His manner was that of a 
drunken man, and was all the more ridiculous as no one 
could help remembering the platitudes he used to utter 
during the Restoration ; which, I imderstand, were very 
cruelly cast up against him last night at the Minister of 
Marine's party. In the morning in the House of Peers he 
was supported only by M. de Flahaut, who was in a great 
state of excitement, and whose behaviour was most improper. 

He disgusted everybody by his cries of " Go on ! Go 
on ! " addressed to Carrel when the President wished to 
bring him to an end. It was this encouragement which 
made Carrel resist M. Pasquier and argue that he had no 
right to stop him when a member of the Chamber and, in 
fact, one of his judges, pressed him to continue. 

On this occasion I learned from every one that M. de 
Flahaut was universally detested for his arrogance, ill- temper, 
acrimony, and ignorance. He will soon become as unpopular 
as his wife. 



218 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

M. Pasquier presided with firmness, moderation, dignity, 
and coolness. I confess, however, that I agree with those 
who would have preferred him to stop M. Carrel when he 
spoke of " the young men who had fought gloriously in the 
troubles of last April," and not when he referred to the case 
of Marshal Ney. The first question dealt with — material 
interests — would have found more sympathy both inside and 
outside the House. 

We had a dinner yesterday — a dozen people, my daughter 
Pauline being the twelfth. It is not a bad thing that she 
should learn to listen to serious conversation without being 
bored. She has a good manner in society, where her open 
countenance and kindly manners seem to please. After 
dinner people came to pay visits just as if we were Ministers. 
The fact is that it was Thursday, the reception day at the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Marine, and 
I suppose that people took us on the way going or coming. 

Paris, December 19, 1834. — M. le Due d'Orleans is re- 
turned from Brussels ; he came to see me yesterday, and 
invited me to a ball he is giving on the 29th. He stayed 
only a moment, when he was sent for by the King ; the 
reason for which I learned later. 

M. Guizot was the next visitor. He seemed less at his 
ease than usual, and tried to compose himself by prosing 
about England, France, and all sorts of things, but he must 
have found me a very unworthy listener. As a matter of 
fact, I listened without enthusiasm, for he was extremely 
tedious, and soon departed. 

Madame de Castellane then came, quite out of breath, from 
M. Mole, in order that I might warn M. de Talleyrand of 
what was going on. M. le Due d'Orleans, carried away by 
the deplorable Flahaut influence, proposed at the opening 
of the sitting of the House of Peers to-day and the reading 
of the minutes of last meeting, to protest along with his 
group against the assassination of Marshal Ney, and to 
demand the revision of the case. Fortunately, M. Decazes 
was warned, and went and told M. Pasquier. He rushed to 
M. Mole, who is one of the twenty-three survivors of the 



THE LONDON EMBASSY 219 

peers who tried the Marshal. There was a great and well- 
justified tumult in the camp. They went to Thiers, who 
hastened to the King, who knew nothing of the affair, and 
was very angry. He sent after his son everywhere, and after 
a very lively scene he forbade him to do anything. His 
great argument was as follows : " If you demand that 
Marshal Ney's case shall be re-opened, what will you say to 
any Carlist peer who comes (as some one very well may) and 
asks that the verdict against Louis XVI. — which was assassi- 
nation if you like ! — shall be reversed ? " I heard the last 
part of the affair from M. Thiers, who came to see M. de 
Talleyrand quite at the end of the morning. Bertin de 
Veaux, who had got wind of the thing, also arrived quite out 
of breath. 

Finally, the King's good sense prevailed and put a stop to 
this nice business. But that it should ever have entered 
any one's head to propose such a thing is one of the extra- 
ordinary features of this age ! 

Paris, December 20, 1834. — Yesterday I got a letter 
from London, dated the 18th, and took it at once to M. de 
Talleyrand. I read him a passage about the terror caused 
by the suggestion that M. de Broglie might be sent as 
Ambassador to England, and the necessity of nominating 
M. de Talleyrand's successor. He quite saw the point, and 
at once wrote that he wished to see the King. At this very 
moment M. de Rigny arrived, bringing him another private 
letter to see. M. de Talleyrand has been urging the choice 
of Rayneval, which, I think, has not pleased M. de Rigny, if 
I may judge by what he said to me at dinner : " There is 
a very strong reason for not sending M. de Rayneval to 
London, but that is the secret of the Minister of Foreign 
Affairs ; if it was the Admiral's secret I would tell you." I 
did not insist. 

I know that at five o'clock it was arranged with the 
the King that Rigny should write a letter, confidential but 
producible, to London, in which he should say that the King 
would choose Mole, Sainte-Aulaire, or Rayneval, and that 
they would be glad to know which of the three would be 



220 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

most agreeable to the Dake of Wellington. I went so far 
as to say to M. de Talleyrand that this seemed to me a very 
maladroit proceeding, as if the Duke chooses Rayneval it 
will be very difficult not to appoint him, and if he wants 
Mole, Mole will refuse, and they will, in fact, have to take 
Sainte-Aulaire, who is not wanted either by the King or by 
the Council, or by the Duke. How badly everything is 
directed and managed here ! There is no common sense or 
simplicity, or elevation of mind anywhere, and yet they 
pretend to govern not only thirty- two millions of subjects, 
but also all Europe ! 

Paris, December 21, 1834. — I heard the following facts 
on excellent authority: (1) They don*'t want to send Ray- 
neval to London as ambassador ; (2) it is Broglie''s doctri- 
naire group who are opposing it ; (3) London was yesterday 
offered formally and officially to Mole, who formally and 
officially declined it ; (4) this morning they had got to 
Sdbastiani but nothing was settled. 

Paris, December 24, 1834. — Sebastian! was being talked 
of yesterday as if his appointment would be in the Moniteur 
of to-morrow, but the more public his name is made the 
greater clamour it excites. M. de Rigny is dying to resign 
his Ministry and ask for the London Embassy, but they are 
afraid that the machine might go to pieces under the diffi- 
culties caused by the resignation of an important member of 
the Cabinet. It seems that it is the condition of Ray- 
neval's financial affairs which prevents his being appointed. 
He is said to be over head and ears in debt and almost 
bankrupt. 

Paris, December 28, 1834. — I heard through M. Mole 
that M. de Broglie had an astonishing influence on the pre- 
sent Ministry, which was unsuspected by the King, that M. 
Decazes used to go every morning and tell him all that went 
on ; that M. de Rigny and M. Guizot allowed themselves 
to be much influenced by him, and that no choice was made 
without being previously submitted to him. 

Will it be believed that in the Journal des Debats they 
translate all Sir Robert Peel's speech and leave out — what ? 



M. ROYER-COLLARD 221 

The complimentary passage about the Duke of Wellington 
which certainly contained nothing oiFensive to France. And 
this when the Duke is Foreign Secretary, and is extremely 
well disposed to France, and when the Dehats is reputed the 
semi-official organ of the Government. Truly people here 
are extraordinarily maladroit in spite of the French wit ! 

Paris, December 29, 1 834. — Poor little Madame de Chalais 
died last night. She was such a happy person ; with that 
good and regular happiness which it is given only to some 
women to experience. Life forsakes those who are weary of 
their pilgrimage all too slowly ; it always goes too quickly 
from those who are enjoying the journey. In what- 
ever way one importunes Providence, whether one fatigues 
one's self with prayers or allows one's wishes to be divined 
in discreet silence, the answer is almost always no, and the 
sentence usually irrevocable. 

What grief at Saint- Aignan ! There she was the darling 
of all the inhabitants. I seem to hear the cries of all these 
old servants whom I know and for whom she represented the 
third generation they had served. The poor, the sick, the 
well-to-do — all idolised her. She was so helpful, so kindly, 
and so gracious ! It is more than a death ; it is the 
destruction of a young happiness and of an ancient and 
illustrious race. I am profoundly shaken by it. 

Paris, December 31, 1834. — Yesterday morning I had a 
good long visit from M. Royer-CoUard. He told me the 
whole history of his professorship, and gave me a glimpse of 
his system of philosophy ; then he talked a great deal about 
Port Royal. The hours he gives me are really precious, 
but too rare and too short for all that there is to learn from 
a mind like his. 

Madame de Castellane came afterwards ; if I were to allow 
it for an instant she would constitute herself my sick nurse ! 
She told me that M. Mole was writing his Memoirs, and 
that there were already five volumes. 

Then came M. le Due d'Orleans ; he told me a greal deal 
about his Ball of the night before, of which the following, 
among the rest, remains with me, The greatest elegance 



222 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

was blended with the utmost originality. The company 
was brilliant, the supper superb ; there were flowers, artisti- 
cally grouped statues, lights enough to blind you, white and 
gold everywhere, new liveries, grooms-of-the-chambers in 
full dress with swords by their sides, clad in velvet and 
powdered. The women were covered with diamonds ; the 
Queen was charmed and Madame Adelaide jealous, saying, 
" This is pure Louis Quinze." All the men were in uniform, 
but in boots and trousers, while M. le Due de Nemours, who 
wore the coat of a general officer covered with gold lace, and 
came in short breeches, stockings, and shoes, was voted by 
every one extremely distinguished and good-looking. M. le 
Due d'Orleans asked me whether I did not prefer boots and 
trousers for a soldier, and I replied, " The Emperor Napoleon, 
who gained a few battles, when he dined alone with the 
Empress wore silk stockings and buckled shoes every 
evening." — " Really ? " — " Yes, Monseigneur." — " Ah, that 
is different." Here is the reverse of the medal. The Deputies 
invited (invited I mean as Deputies only, for there were 
others who were asked as Ministers and Generals), of 
whom there were only : MM. Odillon Barrot, Bignon, and 
Etienne, came in ordinary evening dress in order to be more 
conspicuous. 

The Prince Royal is full of singular contrasts. There 
are, for instance, his aristocratic tastes and pretensions, and 
his detestable politics. Yesterday we had a crow to pluck 
for the first time on the subject of the Duke of Wellington. 
" How like the King you are," said the Prince. " My 
father knows you are always talking to me on his side, 
and so he likes you very much." — " Monseigneur, I never talk 
except on my own side and on the side of your interests : 
but all the same I am very proud of the approbation of the 
King." It all ended very kindly, for he asked leave to add 
his portrait to those which I have collected at Rochecotte. 

Here, then, I end this year 1834, memorable in my life 
because it closes the English period. The four years which 
I have just passed in that country have placed me in a new 
frame, given me a new point of departure, and directed me 



RETROSPECT 223 

towards a new series of ideas. They have modified the view 
taken of me by the world. What I owe to England will, I 
hope, never leave me, and will remain with me till the end 
of my life. Now let us lay up a provision of strength for 
the evil days, which probably will not fail to come, and for 
which it is well to be prepared. 



CHAPTER V 

1835 

Paris, January 3, 1835. — I yesterday received the Due de 
Noailles, who had written me a charming letter to ask leave 
to call. He came to talk to me about his wife's niece, 
Madame de Chalais, whom he loved as his own child and 
whom he knew I deeply regretted. We mourned together ; 
then he spoke a little of politics with good sense and good 
taste, a little of society, and much of Maintenon. He 
stayed a long time and seemed at his ease and very happy. 
He expressed the desire to see me often and to become a 
little intimate with us. He is one of the men whom 
M. Royer-Collard esteems, is very ugly, and older in appear- 
ance than in reality. He is studious, and his manners are 
excellent and very distinguished. I saw a great deal of his 
wife when she was Mile. Alicia de Mortemart, and was 
living with her sister the Duchesse de Beauvilliers, with 
whom she went to Saint-Aignan. We are, moreover, nearly 
related to the Mortemarts. The old Princesse de Chalais, 
who brought up M. de Talleyrand, was a Mortemart, and 
the daughter of M. de Vivonne, the brother of Madame de 
Montespan. 

Yesterday I was at the great evening reception at the 
Tuileries, the Queen having sent word to me by Madame 
Mollien that I might come and go by the private apart- 
ments, and so not have to wait for my carriage. It was 
the last Court of the season, and I took my daughter-in- 
law, Madame de Valen9ay. The palace, when lit up, is really 
superb, and many things look very well — in contrast to 
many others. This applies to the black coats scattered here 



A COURT AT THE TUILERIES 225 

and there among the uniforms, the elaborate dresses of some 
women, and the bourgeois caps of others. There was nothing 
like disorder, but there was no distinction of rooms or 
places. There is no procession ; the Court makes its entry 
when all the company is assembled and makes a tour of the 
ladies, after which the men present file past by themselves. 
A little man in uniform precedes their Majesties and asks 
each lady her name, a proceeding which in the case of three 
quarters of them seems absolutely necessary. 

They were very gracious to me, and I think they were 
pleased that I went on the day of one of the great 
receptions which may well be called " public." They 
feared that I would restrict myself to special audiences. 
That, I think, would have been bad taste. I might perhaps 
prefer not to go at all, but when one is pleased to see people 
in private it does not do to hide one's self and repudiate 
them in public. Whenever she saw me, the Queen herself 
told me I might go ; they opened the little door and I 
escaped delighted to be relieved of the burden. 

P«m, January 7, 1835. — M. Mole came to see me and 
said many ciu-ious things — among others, that he " had a 
mission to purge the Government of doctrinaire influences." 
He has a terrible hatred of doctrinaires, and he is a good 
hater. He quite startled me on this subject, and I asked 
myself if he was equally good at loving. The answer to 
this embarrassed me and I went no further. 

Paris, Janua/ry 8, 1835. — Madame Adelaide having asked 
me to bring Pauline to see her, I did so yesterday. The 
King told me to wait for him at his sister's which kept me 
for three hours. The King had just heard of the strange 
scene among the Mont Saint-Michel people who were 
amnestied. On the very day of their liberation the Re- 
publicans among them (the Carlists said their prayers and 
went quietly back to La Vendee) sang the most horrible 
songs and ended by swearing on their table knives to 
compass the death of the King. His Majesty had the 
police reports before him and gave us all the details. 

He talked for a long time and on all subjects — I must 

p 



226 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

say with much good sense, abihty, clearness, and prudence. 
He perfectly understood the destiny of England, judged the 
European situation very acutely, and spoke of his son in a 
most reasonable way. He said two things in particular to 
me which struck me very much. The first was that, without 
having been carried away so far as his son, he had himself 
fallen into several errors of which experience had cured him. 
He returned to the subject of the Revolution of July, and 
was careful to show that in principle he disapproved of it. 
Thus he told me that his Ministers had wished him to 
wear the July decoration and that he had refused, saying 
that he had taken no part in the Revolution except to put 
a stop to its disastrous consequences. He added, " You 
never saw me wearing that decoration, Madame ! " 

He is more and more embarrassed in the choice of his 
Ambassador in London, for the news received yesterday 
from Naples proves that Sebastiani is no longer capable of 
undertaking the post. I think the King would like M. de 
Latour-Maubourg, but he is ill and talks of nothing but 
retiring to the country. M. de Sainte-Aulaire will be 
here in two or three days, and I imagine that the lot will 
fall on him. The King and I discussed the possibility of 
sending Rigny to London, but the King said, " Rigny's only 
possible successor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would 
be Mole, but Guizot would never dare to stay in office with 
him because Broglie would be furious, and they think they 
can't do without Guizot in the Chamber." The objection 
to Sainte-Aulaire is the influence M. Decazes has over him, 
which is bad in itself and justly displeasing to the King. 

M. de Talleyrand's letter of November IS was at last 
read to the Council yesterday. It will appear in to-day's 
Moniteivr^ and there will also be published a reply from M. de 
Rigny in the politest terms. They only asked that one 
word should be changed, and this was agreed to, as it made 
the sense clearer without altering it. They asked M. de 
Talleyrand to allow them to say " this propagandist spirit " 
instead of " certain doctrines." 

Yesterday evening I was at the great ball at the Tuileries. 



A RADICAL PRINCE 227 

M. le Due d''Or leans attacked me again on the subject of 
the English elections. He is curiously afraid that they may 
turn out to the advantage of the Tory Cabinet. This is 
the second time we have had it out on this question. 
Yesterday I tried to avoid the discussion, but he insisted, 
saying that " perhaps I should convert him," to which I 
replied, " I should indeed be proud, Monseigneur, to convert 
you to your own side.'' 

He had just been re-reading M. de Talleyrand's letter of 
resignation. He said it was a masterpiece, a real historic 
document, which would attract a great deal of attention 
abroad. Nothing, he thought, could be so noble or so 
simple, and it was the more kind to the King as no one 
here had the courage to praise him. M. de Talleyrand had, 
however, showed himself to be terribly conservative, and this 
would give rise to a great controversy in the press. I 
answered : " Perhaps, Monseigneur, but what does it matter ? 
Whether M. de Talleyrand speaks or is silent, he is always 
attacked by ill-disposed papers. At his age, when one is 
taking leave of the public, one may well take the oppor- 
tunity of pleasing one's self and showing one's self in one's 
true colours to be an honest man as one has always been, the 
friend of one's country and of social order, and, what is more, 
a man of one's own class, which does not necessarily mean a 
prejudiced person. You say that M. de Talleyrand alone 
has the courage here to praise the King — and why ? Because 
he is a gentleman, a great personage, and therefore a Con- 
servative. A monarchy, believe me, must always come back 
to people like that." He went on, " Oh, yes, the letter 
will be much admired abroad." — " Yes, Monseigneur, it will 
be admired abroad, but it will also be admired by every 
honest man at home, and your Royal Highness will permit 
me to neglect the rest." Here is another specimen of my 
conversations with this young Prince, who lacks neither 
intelligence nor courage nor grace, but whose judgment is 
still greatly wanting in prudence and balance. 

As to the King, he is prudent above all things, and what 
is more, he is very gracious to me. He came up to me and 



228 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

said, with a smile, "Have you given M. de Talleyrand an 
account of our long conversation ? " — " Of course, Sire, it 
was too full of interest not to make me anxious to give him 
that pleasure." — " Ah, then I am sure you will not have for- 
gotten my story about the July decoration." — " It was the 
first thing I told M. de Talleyrand, and I am going to tell 
my son and my grandson. I wish my descendants to 
remember it in order that they may in the future repeat 
what I now say every day, which is that the King has a 
great understanding." It was said long ago that when 
flattery did not succeed it was the fault of the flatterer, not 
of the flattery. I think that yesterday the flatterer was 
quite efficient ! 

Rochecotte, March 12, 1835. — Our letters from Paris 
announce that M. Thiers' refusal to remain in the Ministry 
with the Due de Broglie as President of the Council and 
Minister of Foreign affairs (a refusal which the King, who 
does not wish to be entirely delivered up to the doctrinaires, 
will not hear of) is again stopping the machine. The 
Chamber of Deputies is beginning to get excited, and it is 
impossible to see clearly what the result of all this will be. 

There is to be a collection at Saint-Roch for the Asylums 
directed by Madame Adelaide who accordingly has the choice of 
collectors. She has chosen Mesdames de Flahaut and Thiers. 
The former, who is said to be furious at the choice of her 
partner, has refused, and this little difficulty has contrived to 
attract some attention among the many more important 
and insoluble problems of the moment. 

Rochecotte, March 14, 1835. — Yesterday's letters leave 
no doubt as to the denouement of the Ministerial crisis. 

It is practically the crisis of last November over again. 
Then Marshal Gerard was replaced by Marshal Mortier ; 
now M. de Broglie replaces Mortier in the Presidency and 
Rigny gives up to him Foreign Affairs and takes War until 
the arrival of Maison, to whom a courier has been sent. If 
the latter accepts, the Embassy at St. Petersburg will be 
vacant, but it is thought that he will refuse. In that case 
will Rigny remain definitely as Minister of War or will he 



CABINET MAKING 229 

go to Naples, giving place to some secondary general ? No 
one knows yet. Thus, with the addition of Broglie and 
Maison, and the subtraction of Rigny, practically every 
one remains at his post. It was hardly worth making such 
a fuss about ! 

This is what I hear as to M. Thiers, who at first refused 
to take office with M. de Broglie. He was harried and 
worried in every direction, Mignet and Cousin trying to 
dissuade him, Salvandy to make him accept. During this 
period a numerously attended meeting of deputies assembled 
at M. Fulchiron's. Thiers, hearing of this, said that if this 
meeting asked him he would accept office. Salvandy hur- 
ried with a deputation to obtain Thiers'* consent, which was 
given in order that he might not be accused of ruining the 
only possible combination, and because he is backed by a 
solemn expression of opinion from a parliamentary majority. 
It is thought, however, that he will soon repent of having 
yielded. The balance is no longer even. They will be two 
to one against him in the Council, and conditions are quite 
against the present arrangement lasting. 

I have a letter from M. Mole which says, " You have left 
a gap here which nothing could fill ; no one has felt this 
more than I have in the last few days. I hope, I may say I 
am sure, that you would have approved of me. You are 
one of the very few people of whose approval I think before 
I act. We have not been fighting about individuals but for 
the Amnesty. A complete general Amnesty was my con- 
dition. Those who resigned in order to get their way 
provoked a demonstration against it in the Chamber. I 
alone maintained that facts were on our side. However, 
some who, like me, were for the Amnesty lost courage, and 
the result is that the old Ministry is being reconstructed 
under M. de Broglie. Several of its members are by no 
means proud of this, but they are all accepting a position 
on which the future will pronounce judgment as well as on 
many other things." 

Rochecotte, March 16, 1835. — M. Royer-Collard writes to 
me as follows about the late Ministerial crisis : " It was oji 



230 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Tuesday the 1 0th that the King asked Guizot to summon M. 
de Broghe. No doubt you expect to hear of the insolence 
of the conqueror. Nothing of the sort. M. de Broglie, 
coached by Guizot, had laid aside not only his arrogance, but 
even his personal dignity which should not be surrendered even 
in exchange for the Presidency of the Council. He expressed 
regret in humble terms for the past and promised to be 
good in the future. You may take this for certain — the 
Necker pride, which is the same type as the Broglie pride, 
has given way." 

Further on, a propos of the paper signed by the so-called 
Fulchiron meeting about Thiers, M. Royer-Collard says : " It 
is certain that Thiers has capitulated. He accepts, but is 
separated and disengaged from the doctrinaires whom he has 
humiliated. He returns whereas Guizot stays. No one, I 
think, gains by this patch work." 

Still further on there is this. " When M. Mole came to see 
me yesterday, I embraced him as I would the survivor of a 
shipwreck. He comes out of the matter best of all, and he 
has surpassed himself." 

Rochecotte, March 23, 1835. — Yesterday evening I had a 
very gracious reply from the Duchesse de Broglie to the letter 
of congratulation I had addressed to her. She dissembles 
her political triumph by the use of humble Biblical quotations. 
The note of her letter is kindliness, and in fact I am pleased 
with her ; she is a deserving person. 

I had also written to M. Guizot on the occasion of his 
brother's death. He did not reply before the period of 
mourning was over ; he did finally answer however, and 
yesterday there came from him a very cajoling letter. The 
only phrase dealing with politics is : " I am one of those who 
should say that the crisis is over, but I am also one of those 
who know that nothing is ever finished in this world, and 
that one has to begin again every day. Our life consists of a 
continual effort to secure a success which is always incomplete. 
I accept this without illusions, and without discouragement." 

I shall add an extract from a letter from M. Royer- 
Collard which also came yesterday evening. " All that has 



TRIUMPH OF M. GUIZOT 281 

happened, the denouement as well as the crisis, is very sad. 
The King and Thiers have, as you see, been conquered by 
Guizot, and, as a result, M. de Talleyrand as well, in what 
remains to him of public life. It is true that this victory 
bears no resemblance to a triumph, and makes none of the 
noise in the world which a triumph causes. It is obscured 
by the uncertainty of things in the Chamber. Guizot how- 
ever is a skilled intriguer, and his obstinacy is in proportion 
to his presumption and to his burning thirst for personal 
predominance. He will never stop till he is conquered by 
the force of circumstances. I doubt whether there exists 
anywhere at present a force which would be sufficient to 
conquer him. Thiers had the satisfaction of making them 
wait thirty-six horn's for him and of going his own way in the 
tribune, but the fact remains that he gave in, and that it 
was the fear of Guizot and the little doctrinaires that 
prevented him from entering the Gerard-Mole Ministry, 
much as he would have liked to do so. Till something else 
turns up he is absorbed in the general submission. From 
this chaos M. Mole has emerged with an increased reputation 
of which you may rest assured that he owes part to you. 
You came into his life more than once and brought succour. 
He likes you very much and feels the need of your approbation. 
I owe his friendship to his belief that I helped to bring you 
and him together." 

Rochecotte, May 10, 1835. — Yesterday I had a curious 
account of what passed at the secret committee of the House 
of Peers on the form of judgment.^ Several Peers declared 
that they could not get rid of the matter by sentencing the 
the accused in default, that is to say by sentencing empty 
benches. Of this opinion were MM. Barthe, Sainte-Aulaire, 
Seguier and, it is believed, de Bastard. M. Decazes and 
some others contended that the cases should be taken 
separately. M. Cousin reproached M. Pasquier in the most 
violent manner for not having heard counsel for the defence, 

1 A Royal decree had charged the Court of Peers with the duty of 
trying the authors of the Republican insurrection which occurred from 
April 7 to April 13, 1834, in several provincial towns and in Paris. The sen- 
tences were not passed till December 1835 and January 1836. 



232 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

and the Chamber for being weak enough to uphold the 
decision of its President. M. Pasquier in his reply was 
sentimental and pathetic, but the most serious incident was 
the declaration of M. Mole who said in so many words that 
if they passed sentence on the accused in his absence he 
would protest. This declaration had a great effect, and 
several Peers, among them the Due de Noailles, adopted 
M. Mold's view. It is added : " You can easily see that 
this declaration is the nucleus of a new Mole Ministry if the 
impossibility of carrying on the case should force the present 
Ministers to resign. On the other hand it would be so 
dangerous to be weak in the presence of such accused that 
the necessity of standing fast will override all other con- 
siderations. It remains to be seen how it is to be done. 
This case is a hydra ! " 

Langenau {Switzerland), August 18, 1835. — This little 
chronicle has been interrupted for some time. I have often 
been ill, and found any kind of application impossible. In 
this way I became more and more indolent, and got tired of 
writing down my own thoughts after having so long dealt 
with those of others. Then came removals and travels and 
all sorts of things which have combined to interrupt my old 
habits. My mind has been distracted by too many new 
scenes ; I have had no time for the reflection and steady 
work necessary for writing, and my inspiration was at an 
end. I had lived prodigally for four years and my small 
stock of provisions was exhausted. In short, I may repeat the 
rather unfilial remark of M. Cousin, who in speaking of his 
father, who had become imbecile, observed, " only the animal 
survives." 

My notes have recorded in their proper sequence the visit 
of M. le Due d'Orleans to Valenfay, the drama (as I may 
well call it) of M. de Talleyrand's resignation of his Embassy 
to London ; the change of Ministry at Paris, which only 
lasted three days ; that of the English Cabinet, which after 
three months retired on meeting a Parliament which they 
had imprudently renewed. How much these events dis- 
pleased those about me, how a many-sided intrigue made 



A SUMMARY OF EVENTS 233 

Sebastiani Ambassador at London, a post to which M. de 
Rigny secretly aspired — all this is well known, and I shall 
say no more about it. 

At Maintenon, where I spent some hours with the Due 
de Noailles, I had the pleasure of hearing a long account of 
the visit of Charles X. in 1830, when he left Rambouillet 
to embark at Cherbourg. The Due de Noailles describes 
this dramatic scene with emotion, and consequently with 
talent. Unfortunately, I did not write it all down the very 
day he told it me, and now I fear that I should spoil it if t 
tried to recollect it. Some day or other I shall go to 
Maintenon again, and instead of the story, which I shall not 
hear again, I shall be able to tell what has become of this 
venerable and curious old house in the hands of the Due de 
Noailles, who has undertaken many improvements. 

Our quiet stay at Rochecotte might also have furnished 
several pages which would have contained the piquant anec- 
dotes of M. de la Besnardiere ; the frequently agitated 
correspondence of Madame Adelaide during the re-entry last 
March of the doctrinaire Ministry, and some characteristic 
traits of M. de Talleyrand grappling with his comparative 
solitude, almost continually trying to put other people in 
the wrong in order to manufacture emotions for himself, 
sometimes putting himself in the wrong, and thus conducting 
a solitary warfare in the midst of a profound peace. 

I should have set down, during the days which Madame 
de Balbi spent with me, some account of the many-sided 
vivacity which is so characteristic of her age and type of 
mind. Her conversation was full of it, and what she says 
is almost always connected with scenes and persons and 
situations which prevent it from being trivial and make it 
material for serious history. If I had been in form at that 
time I should certainly not have passed over in silence the 
loquacious and pompous figure of the Comte Alexis de Saint- 
Priest, a malicious, and indeed a grotesque person, though 
not without wit and animation, and a striking contrast to the 
restraint, good taste, and incisiveness of Madame de Balbi. 
Mf de Saint-Priest's total want of manjiers is his most 



234 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

unpleasant feature. He thinks he is a born diplomatist, 
but his temperament is certainly anything but diplomatic. 
He is also a man of letters, and is wTiting historical memoirs, 
for which he thought himself entitled to request Madame de 
Balbi, on the very first day they met at Rochecotte, to 
communicate to him her letters from Louis XVni.,of Avhich 
no doubt she must have a great many. This was too much 
not to cast a shade of gravity over Madame de Balbi's habitual 
gaiety ; and she said, very drily, that she would be wanting 
in every sentiment of the respect and gratitude which she 
entertained towards the late King if a single one of these 
letters was published or even sho"v\Ti to any one during her 
lifetime. 

During the month of June which I spent at Paris the 
King very graciously showed us Versailles, which should have 
impelled me to record here the profound impression made 
upon me by the first plan and the actual restoration. Fast as 
one forgets everything at Paris, Versailles remains dazzlingly 
clear in my recollection ; all I feared was to have too much 
to say. I doubt if I could have revisited the Palace under 
more curious circumstances. On one side was M. de 
Talleyrand who reconstructed for us the Versailles of 
Louis XV., Louis XVI. and the Constituent Assembly, and 
on the other King Louis Philippe. Li the middle of the 
hall of 1792 the King was carried back to the earliest 
memories of his youth and made them live again by his 
words no less than by the fine portraits and interesting 
pictures he has collected. I had visited Versailles in April 
]812 with the Emperor Napoleon who then dreamed of 
establishing his court there, and had gone to inspect the 
works which he had put in hand and which first extricated the 
palace from the ruin and disorder caused by the Revolution. 
The second visit I paid to Versailles might well recall the 
first ! M. Fontaine, the clever architect, and I were the only 
people who could compare both restorations. 

Berne f Aiigust 19, 1835. — The month of June which I 
spent in Paris was full of incident of all kinds. I am really 
ashamed that I have allowed the impressions of tliese to 



A RELIGIOUS MISSION 235 

become so feeble that hardly a trace remains. I assisted at 
several conversations between the King and Madame Adelaide. 
There were the little intrigues of the doctrinaires diffidently 
developing around me under the auspices of M. Guizot, in 
/ whom I have often remarked an easy hypocrisy which seems to 
/^e quite a new variety of charlatanism. All these, the alterna- 
tions of exaltation and despondency through which M. Thiers 
kept passing, and a thousand other things which gave each 
day a character of its own, would have been well worthy of a 
few notes. I should have said something of a dinner at the 
Villa Orsini given by M. Thiers, where a motly collection of 
fifteen people gave the party a stamp of bad taste which 
embarrassed me and made M. de Talleyrand observe, "We 
have been to a Directoire dinner party.*" 

Personal matters also have not been uninteresting. There 
was the death of young Marie Suchet and her mother's grief, 
the confirmation of my daughter Paxiline on the occasion of 
which I met the Archbishop of Paris after five years of 
separation. All these events, so to speak, marked out one 
day from another and kept them from being confused one 
with another. 

I was the more struck with my interview with M. de 
Quelen, as it was the occasion of a conversation which I do 
not wish to go unrecorded. The Archbishop returned to a 
subject which has always much concerned him, namely, the 
conversion of M. de Talleyrand, and spoke of it with the 
same vivacity as in the days of M. le Cardinal de Perigord. 
He repeated how eagerly he wished for this event, assured 
me that he had gladly accepted all the tribulations of his 
episcopal life in the hope that God would vouchsafe as 
a recompense for his own sufferings the return of M. de 
Talleyrand into the bosom of the Church. He exhorted 
me vehemently to co-operate by my own efforts in so 
meritorious a work, and added that, knowing how trust- 
worthy I was, and, moreover, believing that it was well that 
I should know what he intended to do, he would confide to 
me that he had thought that in the last phrase of M. de 
Talleyrand's letter of resignation of November 1 3 last there 



236 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

was a return to serious thoughts, and that he had become con- 
vinced that the moment had come to act energetically. He 
had therefore written straight to the Pope at Rome to 
inquire what line the Holy Father thought he should 
follow. " The Holy Father's answer was not long in 
coming," said M. de Quelen ; " it refers to M. de Talleyrand 
in kindly and affectionate terms. It gives me the right to 
absolve and reconcile him, and it extends my powers so far 
as to permit me to delegate them to the prelates of the 
various dioceses in which M. de Talleyrand might be attacked 
by his last illness, in particular to the Archbishops of 
Bourges and Tours. Finally, the Pope even showed a 
willingness to write personally to M. de Talleyrand."" In 
my replies to M. de Quelen I necessarily temporised. I 
made it clear in the most precise terms that any direct 
overture would probably produce an effect the very opposite 
of that which was desired. For my own part I could never 
take other than a purely passive part in the matter. 
Assuredly I should be equally averse from any action 
contrary to the object desired by the Church, as from any 
which might disturb one for whose peace I am responsible, 
without securing the desired effect, which, if it ever is 
secured, will be due to a voice more mighty and more 
powerful than any human one. 

The Archbishop also spoke to me of his own tribulations, 
of those he has experienced since 1830 ; they have been 
both strange and sad. I regret that latterly he has not been 
able to forget them a little more, and that when he returned 
to the Tuileries after the attempt of July 28,^ and reopened 
Notre Dame to the King, he did not accompany what he did 
with more frank and more definitely pacific words. He 
would then have avoided the reproach of speaking to two 
addresses, one at Prague, the other at Paris. The Arch- 
bishop's misfortune is that he has not quite the intellectual 
grasp which is necessary to play the difficult part which 
circumstances have imposed upon him. Neither has he the 
intense energy which redeems, and sometimes more than 
1 The crime of Fieschi who tried to assassinate King |jOuis Philippe. 



BADEN BADEN 237 

redeems, intellectual shortcomings. No doubt his sentiments 
are excellent, and his intentions admirable. He is kind, 
charitable, affectionate, grateful, sincerely attached to his 
duties, and always ready to face martyrdom, but he is too 
ready to receive impressions of every kind. It is easy to 
gain his confidence and to abuse it by pushing him into a 
path the end of which he does not perceive in time. He is 
afraid of criticism and is always provoking it by a hesitancy 
and a want of balance which arise from a vacillating in- 
telligence, and the scruples of a conscience which is never 
certain whether what was good yesterday is good to-day. 
He would have been a good pastor in ordinary times ; but 
in our day, in which no one seems suited to the place he 
occupies, the attitude he has taken up has made neither for 
his reputation with the public nor the peace of his private 
life. However, as he has many noble and good qualities, 
and as he has the deepest interest in all who bear the name 
of Talleyrand, which is much to his credit as it arises from 
gratitude to the Cardinal de Perigord, I wish with all my 
heart that his life may be made more tranquil than it has 
been in these recent years, and that his troubles may come 
to an end. Another man might have known how to turn 
them to his advantage ; he can do nothing but succumb. 

I have enjoyed the four weeks which I have lately been 
spending at Baden-Baden. I found many old acquaintances 
and had some agreeable meetings. There, too, I ought to 
have fixed my recollections by putting down a few lines 
about Madame la Princesse d'Orange, that pattern of all 
that education should make a Princess, about the King of 
Wiirtemberg and his daughters the Princesses Sophie and 
Marie, about the ill-concealed hostility of Mesdames de Lieven 
and de Nesselrode, about the genial philosophy of M. de 
Falk, about the fine talk of M. and Madame de Zea, in fact 
about everything good and bad which struck me in this 
gathering, of which each member had a distinction of his 
own. 

They all group themselves more or less about Madame de 
Lieven, whose former glories and recent misfortune (the 



238 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

deaths of her two youngest sons in the same week), excited 
sympathy or imposed duties. I was very sorry for her, and 
her position seemed to me to contain a great lesson. She 
has lost her way and wanders at large. She is not resigned, 
and finds no pleasure in her regrets. She finds nothing but 
a cruel void in the distraction which she demands of every 
one. She finds no pleasure in occupation ; she lives in the 
street, in public places, talks inconsequently, and never 
listens, laughs, cries and acts at a venture, asks questions 
without interest in the answers. This misery is the worse, 
as four months of sorrow have not taught her patience. 
She is already astonished that her regrets have lasted so 
long ; but, as she will not submit herself to trouble, it will not 
wear itself out ; she prolongs it by struggling against it. 
In the combat sorrow triumphs and the victim cries out, 
but the sound is discordant and awakes no sympathetic 
echo in the hearts of others. I have seen people, one after 
another, cease to pity her and care for her : she saw it too 
and was humiliated. She seemed grateful to me for con- 
tinuing to be kind to her. She left me with the con- 
viction that, if I had not been a consolation to her, I was 
at least a resource, and I am very glad of it. 

It was a pleasure to me to see the lovely Lake of 
Constance again a few days ago. Three years ago I 
dreamed of taking a small chateau which was there. It has 
been burned down. I am now thinking of a cottage ; I should 
be sorry not to have some shelter on this promontory from 
which the view is so rich, so varied, and so tranquil, and 
where it would be so pleasant to rest. 

From Wolfsberg where I lived I several times went to 
Arenenberg to see the Duchesse de Saint-Leu ; she seemed 
to me rather more tranquil than three years ago. Madame 
Campan's pretentious pupil, the Tragedy Queen, has given 
place to a good stout Swiss house-wife who talks with 
freedom, receives hospitably, and is pleased to see any one 
who comes to divert her in her solitude. Her little house 
is picturesque, but intended only for summer weather, though 
she lives there almost all the year round. The interior is 



MEMORIES OF THE EMPIRE 239 

small and narrow, and seems to have been made only for 
flowers, reeds, matting, and divans — it is in fact no more 
than a summer-house. The relics of imperial magnificence 
which are heaped together there are not altogether in 
keeping. Canova's marble statue of the Empress Josephine 
requires a larger setting. I should have liked with the 
stroke of an enchanter's wand to have transported to the 
Versailles Museum the portrait of the Emperor as General 
Bonaparte by Gros, which is certainly the finest modern 
portrait that I know. It ought to be the property of the 
nation, for the military and political history as well as all 
the glories and destinies of France are embodied in this 
perfect picture. In a little cabinet in a looking-glass case 
there are some precious relics mixed with a number of 
insignificant trifles. The cashmere scarf worn by General 
Bonaparte at the Battle of the Pyramids, the portrait of 
the Empress Marie-Louise and her son on which the dying 
eyes of the exile of St. Helena were fixed, and several other 
interesting relics lie there side by side with Avretched little 
scarabs and a thousand trifling things without interest or 
value. Thus an eyeglass left by the Emperor Alexander at 
Malmaison, and a fan given by Citizen Talleyrand to 
Mile. Hortense de Beauharnais, preserved in the midst of 
the memories of the Empire, show great freedom of thought 
and a certain amount of indifference, or else a remarkable 
facility of humour and character. 

True I saw the Empress Josephine and Madame de Saint- 
Leu ask to be received by Louis XVIII. a fortnight after 
the fall of Napoleon. In London I saw Lucien Bonaparte 
make Lady Aldborough introduce him to the Duke of 
Wellington, and at the Congress of Vienna Eugene de Beau- 
harnais sang to oblige the company. Ancient dynasties 
may be wanting in ability ; new ones are always lacking in 
dignity. 

Fribourg, August 20, 1835. — It would be, if not 
dignified, at any rate well bred, on Madame de Saint- Leu's 
part if she restored to the town of Aix-la-Chapelle the 
magnificent reliquary worn by Charlemagne, and found on 



240 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

his neck when his tomb was opened. This reliquary, which 
contains a piece of the True Cross under a great sapphire, 
was given to the Empress Josephine by the Chapter of the 
Cathedral in order to conciliate her favour. It must have 
been a painful sacrifice for them to part with this relic, to 
which it would have been a piece of delicacy and good 
breeding to put an end. What might be an appropriate 
possession for the successor of Charlemagne is a most unsuit- 
able one for the mistress of the Arenenberg. 

I have little to say of the journey which brought me here. 
Saint-Gall has a charming situation. The interior of the 
town is very ugly ; the church and the adjoining buildings, 
which are now the seat of the Cantonal Government, have 
been restored too recently, and they missed their effect on 
me. Nothing recalls the strange glories of the ancient 
Prince Bishops of Saint-Gall. The nave of the church is 
fine, but there is none of the calmness of antiquity in it. 
The bridge, which you cross to reach the new road to 
Heinrichsbad, is a picturesque incident in a wooded country. 

Heinrichsbad is quite a new establishment ; and the 
Alpine situation of the isolated hotel affords opportunities 
for the goats''-milk cure. The part of Appenzell which we 
crossed on the way to Meynach reminded me more of the 
Pyrenees than any other part of Switzerland. 

I was pleased to see the Lake of Zurich again ; but the 
Lake of Zug, along which I passed the next day, being more 
shaded and retired, seemed to me even more lovely. There is 
a view of almost all of it from the Convent of the Nuns of 
S. Francis, whose house is high above the lake. I arrived 
as the ladies were saying Mass — not very well it must be 
confessed, but the organ and voices which come from 
invisible persons and an unseen place always affect me too 
deeply to allow me to be critical. The nuns are employed 
in the education of girls. Sister Seraphina, who showed 
me over the Convent, speaks French well, and her cell is 
extremely clean. The rule of the Convent did not seem to 
me very strict. 

The chapel of Kussnach — on the very spot where Gessler 



SWISS IMPRESSIONS 241 

was killed by William Tell, has some historic interest no 
doubt, but as regards situation it is far inferior to that on 
the Lake of Four Cantons, at the place where Tell leapt 
out of his persecutor's boat and pushed it back into the 
raging storm. 

The position of Lucerne, which I knew, struck me 
again as very picturesque. The lion carved in the rock near 
Lucerne, after Thorwaldsen's design, is an imposing monu- 
ment — a fine thought well rendered. 

Berne, which I reached by way of the Immersthal, a 
pleasant valley covered with the most beautiful vegetation 
and ornamented with charming villages, has the aspect of a 
great city, thanks to its numerous fine streets and buildings. 
It is a melancholy place, however, and even in summer one 
feels how cold it must be in winter. The terrace, which is 
planted with trees and hangs high above the Aar, opposite 
to the mountains and the glaciers of the Oberland, is a 
splendid promenade, to which the Hotel de la Monnaie on 
one side and the Cathedral on the other make a fine finish. 

The road from Berne to this place has no remarkable 
features. The first view of Fribourg is striking and un- 
common. The site is rough and wild ; the towers thrown on 
the surrounding heights, the depth at which the river, or 
rather the torrent, flows at the foot of the rock on which 
the town is placed, and the hanging bridge above the houses, 
all make the scene exceedingly picturesque. The interior of 
the town, with its numerous convents and its population of 
Jesuits in long black robes and broad hats, is like a vast 
monastery, in which there is not wanting, on occasion, a 
faint flavour of the Inquisition. It is not in this mysterious 
and cloistered place that one feels oneself drinking in the 
classic atmosphere of Helvetian liberty. The new Jesuit 
College is so placed as to dominate the town, and the 
influence due to its importance is very great. To judge by 
the little which the traveller is permitted to see, this estab- 
lishment is on the vastest scale and perfectly managed. 
There are three hundred and fifty children being educated 
there, most of them French ; the buildings appear to me to 

Q. 



242 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

be intended for an even larger number. Besides this great 
boarding-school the Jesuits have their own house adjoining, 
and in addition a country place about a league from the 
town. 

I went to see the Cathedral, which would be quite un- 
worthy of notice were it not for the organ which was 
playing as I entered and which seemed to me the most 
harmonious and the least harsh of any I have heard. 

I am very glad to have seen Fribourg. I passed through 
eleven years ago without examining it. I now understand 
better the kind of part which this town plays in the religious 
history of the present time. 

Lausanne, August 21, 1835. — The broad and easy road 
from Fribourg crosses a country partly wooded, partly 
cultivated, smiling and varied but not exactly picturesque, 
except at Lussan. The scenery does not become grand 
until the mountain chain which surrounds Lake Leman 
appears at the end of a pine wood, which for a long time 
conceals both the lake and the town of Lausanne. 

Like all Swiss towns Lausanne is ugly inside. Its 
situation is picturesque ; the variations of level are incon- 
venient for the inhabitants, but they provide several terraces 
from which the view is very fine. Those at the Cathedral 
and the Castle are the most thought of. I prefer the 
Montbadon promenade which is not so high, but from which 
one can see the country better. There are too many roofs 
in the other views. 

Bex, August 23, 1835. — Less of wall and vineyard and a 
few more trees would make the road from Lausanne to 
Vevey charming. The country does not quite take my 
fancy until Vevey is reached. Chillon above all impressed 
me by its situation and its associations. I should like to 
have re-read Lord Byron's verses while I was going over the 
famous dungeons. His name alone which is scrawled in 
charcoal on one of the pillars of the prison (the same to 
which Francois de Bonnivard was chained for six years), is 
enough to make this dungeon poetic. 

At Villeneuve the road leaves Lake Leman and plunges 



POLITICAL NEWS 243 

into a wild and narrow gorge. The sharp and curious in- 
dentations of the rocks which flank the road supply the only- 
beauty which adorns the four long leagues to Bex. Quite 
near, on a spur of rock veined with many colours, and half 
hidden in a clump of trees, you can see the Castle of St. 
Triphon, which seemed to me very fine. 

Bex itself is a village which bears no resemblance to the 
pretty villages of the Canton of Berne. Everything already 
suggests the neighbourhood of Piedmont. We are all at the 
Auberge de TUnion which is the only one in the place and 
is neither good nor bad. The sulphur baths established 
here did not succeed ; neither did the goafs milk cure. In 
fact the place is bare of resources and very sombre and dull, 
though for me it is lighted up by the rosy cheeks of Pauline 
and the brightness of her blue eyes. I was delighted to get 
here. 

I got a letter on my arrival which had been left for me by 
Admiral de Bigny on his way to Naples. He tells me that 
he has found everywhere on his way a definite belief that the 
Duchesse de Berry was at Chambery on the 24th, and that 
on the 30th, Berryer who was going to take the waters at 
Aix-en-Savoie disappeared a few hours after the attempt on 
the King's life in Paris, and afterwards reappeared at Aix 
much upset. Like M. de Bigny I have found this version 
of the story current everywhere. The Swiss papers also 
describe Madame la Duchesse de Berry, but nothing is certain. 

At Maintenon the Due de Noailles has just been having 
a party of clever and intriguing people. M. de Chateau- 
briand, Madame Recamier, the Vicomtesse de Noailles, 
M. Ampere, in fact the whole morning congregation of the 
Abbaye-aux-Bois.^ I am sorry to hear it : the Due de 
Noailles should not forsake the high road for such a byway. 

From what I hear from Touraine I see that the atrocity 

1 The Abbaye-anx-Bois was a religious community of women ; it was 
situated in Paris at the corner of the Rue de Sevres and the Rue de la 
Chaise. During the Revolution it was used as a place of detention. 
Later it reverted to its former character, and, besides the convent occu- 
pied solely by the nuns, it afforded a peaceable refuge to ladies of great 
fashion, Madame Recamier settled there. 



244 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

at Paris of the 28th July, has aroused indignation there, an 
indignation, however, which feared to speak above its breath 
and which is perhaps even now forgotten. We live in a time 
when so many monstrosities are produced on the stage, when 
books are so full of them, and when they are so common in 
real life that the public have supped full Avith horrors and 
have become indifferent to them and quite familiarised with 
crime. The town of Tours, a place so essentially calm, has 
distinguished itself by refusing to send addresses from the 
Tribunal, the Conseil Municipal and the Conseil d'Arrondis- 
sement. Two rogues, glibly arguing about the letter of the 
law, were enough to set all the indifferent at their ease. It 
appears hoAvever that a creditable number of the Garde 
Nationale showed themselves the day of the funeral service 
and sent an address with some show of cordiality. When 
one sees the most violent and criminal passions on the one 
side and on the other an exhibition of laziness and indifference, 
one wonders whether the repressive laws asked for by the 
French Ministry will be enough. Perhaps they will only 
irritate ! 

This is an evil age of ours ; good centuries are rare but 
there is no example of one that is worse than this. I pity 
with all my heart those who are called upon to govern it, 
M. Thiers, for example, whose weariness and anxiety appear 
in a letter which I received from him yesterday from which 
I give an extract. After speaking of the personal danger 
from which he escaped at the time of the attempt of 
July 28, he adds, " But my only trouble, and it is over- 
whelming, is the immense responsibility of my position. I 
am on my feet day and night. I go from the Prefecture of 
Police to the Tuileries, to the Chamber, without a moment's 
rest, and without being sure that I have foreseen everything, 
1 for the fertility of evil is infinite, as is the case in every 
disordered society in which every criminal has formed a hope 
that he may attain anything by setting the world on fire. 
There are some scoundrels Avho would blow up this planet if 
they were allowed. On the day after the horrible massacre 
1 Fieschi's attempt on the King's life. 



FIESCHI'S CRIME 245 

all that occurred to them to say was ' we shall see : ' these 
are the very words of the leader of the assassins. I know 
not when I shall have the rest which will be the reward of 
these troubles, nor what issue out of my affliction will be 
vouchsafed to me." 

Immediately after the explosion of the infernal machine, 
when she learned that her husband and children had not 
perished, our good Queen said, " How did my sons behave ? " 
an inquiry which I think was worthy of her. The young 
Princes behaved with touching devotion. They gathered 
closely round the King, and the next day, when traces of a 
bullet were discovered on the King^s forehead, the Due 
d'Orleans said, " And yet I made myself as tall as I could 
yesterday." 

While Madame Recamier is at Maintenon with the 
Duchesse de Noailles, my sister-in-law, the Princesse de 
Poix, goes to the Duchesse d'Abrantes' Mondays where 
one meets Madame Victor Hugo ! Wit and politics have 
strangely intermingled all society, good and bad ! 

M. le Due de Nemours is going to London. He is nice- 
looking, dignified, serious and reserved, with a great air of 
youth and nobility. One would expect him to have a 
great success in England, but his excessive shyness so com- 
pletely deprives him of all ease and grace in conversation 
that he will perhaps be rated at much less than his real value. 

Of all the congratulatory letters written to the King of 
the French by foreign sovereigns on the occasion of the 
attempt of July 28, the most cordial was that of the King 
of the Netherlands. This seems to me very good taste on 
his part, and I am very glad of it. I have always thought 
that since his misfortunes the King of the Netherlands has 
shown ability, readiness, and a persistency which, whatever 
his ultimate success, will assure him a fine page in the 
history of our time in which there is so little that is good to 
say about anybody. 

While the King of the French submits to escorts and 
measures of precaution, and is adopting a more Royal state, 
the President of his Council comes to diplomatic dinners at 



246 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

the Tuileries in coloured trousers and without decorations, 
and this Minister is the Due de Broglie ! 

Jerome Bonaparte and all his family have left Florence 
and are now at Vevey ; tlie cholera is driving every one out 
of Italy into Switzerland. 

Bex, August 24, 1835. — The weather having cleared, 
we have been to see the salt mines near Bex, which are the 
only ones in Switzerland, and do not produce enough to 
supply the needs of the country. We did not go far into 
the mine because of the damp cold which we felt gaining on 
us, but we saw the refining plant in detail. The salt seemed 
to me very pure and white. 

We retm'ned through the valley of Cretet along the 
mountain stream of Davanson, which is the fullest and the 
most impetuous I have seen in this part of the Alps. Its 
course is long and its descent extremely rapid. It is caught 
in a narrow gorge, the sides of which are high and wooded. 
It supplies motive power for many factories, and for this 
purpose is divided into many little canals and aqueducts. 
These establishments are nearly always hung, as it were, on 
blocks of rock which seem to have become detached from the 
high peaks and to be suspended by a miracle over the abyss. 
All the road as far as M. de Gautard's little chateau is de- 
lightful, and I was somewhat reconciled to the country, the 
first sight of which was a disagreeable surprise. 

I am just come back from a very interesting excursion. The 
chief object was the cascade of Pisse-Vache, a fine straight 
foam-white column of water which throws far and wide on 
all sides a damp mist, and leaps in a single jet from a breach 
in rocks rising into two needle-like peaks. The water of 
the cascade soon mingles with that of the Rhone, near the 
bridge where one crosses the river. The current is almost 
equally rapid fr'om the source to the mouth and is particularly 
so in the nai'row gorge through which it passes on leaving 
the Valais to enter the Canton de Vaud. The frontier is at 
Saint Mam'ice, a picturesque village, where the convents, the 
castle, the old town and the fortifications, lying unevenly on 
tlie perpendicular rocks, present a quaint spectacle. The gate 



GENEVA 247 

of this town is, so to speak, formed by the narrow passage 
between two great rocks which separate the two cantons. 
From this point on the right the view reaches to the Canton 
de Vaud, ending in the distance beyond Lake Leman at the 
Jura, and on the left towards the wilderness of the Valais 
you can see as far as the snowy chain of Saint Bernard. 

What, in spite of everything, spoiled the expedition for 
me was the character of the population. Cretins are 
numerous, and even those who are not so afflicted are 
horribly disfigured by goitres. The women sometimes have 
as many as three. The water coming from melted snow, and 
the deficiency of simlight, which penetrates very little into the 
narrow gorges of the Valais, are responsible for the frequency 
of this disease. 

Geneva^ August 26, 1835. — We left Bex this morning 
and went along the Rhone to the point at which it enters 
Lake Leman. Thence to Thonon by a pleasant road boldly 
tunnelled in the rock and built out over the lake. The 
view was a picturesque mixture of superb lawns, lovely 
chestnut trees and majestic rocks, which form a very fine 
spectacle. From Thonon the road is monotonous until 
within two leagues from Geneva. There the natural beauty 
of the country is enhanced by numerous ornamental gardens 
cared for as well as they are in England, by pretty country 
houses and magnificent avenues, the whole being grouped 
like the town of Geneva itself in an amphitheatre round the 
lake. 

We are at the Hotel des Bergues. My window looks 
out on a new wire bridge which spans the Rhone and 
joins the two parts of the town, leading at the same time 
to a small island on which is the statue of Jean-Jacques 
Rousseau surrounded by a clump of great trees. "A great 
part of the lake is simply covered with little boats ; nothing 
could be gayer or more animated. 

Geneva, August 27, 1835. — The Due de Perigord whom 
I met yesterday here, and who is a good authority about every- 
thing that concerns the Archbishop of Paris, explained to 
me as follows the rapprochement of the Archbishop with the 



248 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

present Government. After the attempt of July 28, the 
Cure of Saint Roch, whose church has become the place 
of worship of the Royal Family since the destruction of 
Saint-Germain-rAuxerrois, went to the King, who intimated 
to him his intentions as to the funeral service. The Cure, 
whose name is the Abbe Olivier, observed that after the 
funeral service a Te Deum in thanksgiving for the preserva- 
tion of the King and his children would be an obvious and 
proper ceremony. The King adopted this idea adding : 
" This Te Deum will have to take place at Saint-Roch as 
the Archbishop continues to oppose my Government." The 
Cure of Saint-Roch immediately informed the Archbishop 
of the innovation which his attitude was about to cause, and 
it was this which made M. de Quelen decide to go to the 
King. He was received and thereafter officiated at the 
Invalides and at Notre-Dame. I shall hear later what passed 
between the King and him. 

I hear from Paris that Marshal Maison, who takes no part 
in the debates in the Chamber, takes out every day in a 
phaeton, at the fashionable hour, a young lady whom he has 
brought back from St. Petersburg. He is the dandy of the 
Cabinet ! 

Geneva^ August 29, 1835. — The environs of Geneva have 
improved as much as the interior of the town. Every year 
new country houses replace and augment the number ot 
those which used to cover the coasts of the lake. The most 
elaborate belongs to a banker named Bartholony. The Italian 
taste predominates in the construction of these villas ; the 
gardens and the arrangement of the flowers recall England. 
The frame of the picture alone is Swiss and it could not be 
more grandiose. Coppet, which is further from Geneva, has 
no particular style. It is now occupied by the young 
Madame de Stael who lives there in all the austerity of early 
Christian widowhood, and it has a deserted and lugubrious 
air. The village separates the chateau from the lake and 
blocks the view. M. and Madame Necker and the famous 
Madame de Stael are buried in a part of the park shut off 
by brushwood and very difficult to approach. Moreover, by 



FERNEY 240 

the orders of the dead, no one (not even their children) is 
allowed to enter this enclosure. The rest of the Park is full 
of fine trees which, however, are too close together. They 
are wanting in style and neatness like the general impression 
produced by the whole place. Strangers are no longer 
admitted to the house. I had been there on a former occasion. 
The apartments are well arranged and well enough propor- 
tioned, but they are furnished without taste or elegance. It 
is in every way an establishment characteristic of a Puritan 
banker, vast and austere but neither noble nor imposing. 

The position of Ferney is very agreeable ; the house is 
embellished by terraces and vegetation. In itself it is small 
and all on the old French model of last century. The salon 
and bedchamber of M. de Voltaire alone remain open to the 
public and consecrated to the memory of the great mind who, 
during thirty years made this little manor the fire from 
whence issued so many dazzling flames of wit. We stayed 
a long time examining the little relics preserved by the 
gardener. When M. de Voltaire died he was fourteen ; he 
recites his story well, for I do not believe that it is his own. 

In a letter I had yesterday from the Due d'Orleans occurs 
the following passage : " On the day on which the laws under 
discussion are voted, and this dangerous weapon is placed 
in the hands of the executive, the difficulty will begin. It 
is nothing to have got them through, the trouble is to carry 
them into execution. Will they be able to carry on this 
unceasing struggle ? Will they be able each day to defeat 
the stratagems, and to resist the tenacious purpose of men 
who are driven to desperation and have only one thought and 
one end ? Hostile critics here assert that it is much more 
difficult to govern regularly and coherently than to carry 
new laws by violent speeches while not even enforcing those 
which are already provided. For my part all I say is that, 
now Ministers have involved us in so grave a struggle, I can 
find no words with which to describe their conduct if they do 
not make a proper use of the powers which they have thought 
it their duty to demand, or if they try to transfer to others 
the burden of executing what they alone have conceived 



250 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

and insisted on in whiit they believe to be their own 
interests. 

Lons-le-Saulnier, August 31, 1835. — I got here last night 
very late, after having traversed the wild, melancholy and 
arid Jura. Great efforts have been used tliere to create an 
easy road, on which however you get on slowly owing to the 
constant ascents and descents. The roads themselves, cut 
out of the living rock and protected by encasements skilfully 
contrived so as to prevent infiltration of water, are perfectly 
smooth, wide and well protected against the dangers of this 
rugged country. From the heights of Saint Cergue I cast 
a last look at the lovely lake of Geneva and the Alps. The 
view stretches out magnificently before one and leaves a fine 
image in one's memory. 

Arlay, September 1, 1835. — This place, which was part 
of the ancient duchy of Isenghien, came to Prince Pierre 
d'Arenberg from his maternal grandmother, tlie heiress of 
tlie house of Isenghien, which descended fi'om those of 
Chalons and Orange. The nobility of such an origin is un- 
questionable, and is much in the mind of the present owner. 
The view from my room, and in fact from all parts of the 
house, is wide without being picturesque ; and in this it is 
like the house itself, which is vast and well restored, but 
rather bare of furniture and rathei' chilly, as the ridge above 
it comes between it and the south. 

On the summit of this ridge there are tlie ruins of the 
Gothic manor, which have not character enough to be 
interesting. The approaches are short, there being no other 
avenue than a com'tyard planted with trees. There are 
many things wanting which are necessary to make it agree- 
able and effective, but it is a substantial piece of wreckage 
saved from the revolutionary catastrophe. The master of 
the house and the Duchesse de Perigord received me with 
the utmost kindness. 

I received here a letter from M. Royer-Collard, who was 
returning to his country house " after having done what he 
believed to be his duty and due to his honour in the 
Chamber,"''' and without waiting for the vote on the law as a 



THE FIESCHI CASE 251 

whole. His speech, the thought, sentiment and language of 
which I admire (he did not intend it to create a sensation 
or to carry people away), was made to satisfy the demands 
of his conscience. He also wished to make his position 
quite clear (a long silence had made some people uncertain 
about it) and to lay down clearly the line of his opinions. 
This is why, though far from well, he made this speech 
which is so short and yet so full of matter. It is the first 
time that, without exciting any murmuring or appearing 
ridiculous, hypocritical or imprudent, any one has praised, 
honoured, and defended the peers, and that the spirit of 
religion, the words God and Providence, have been heard in 
the precincts of the Chamber of Deputies. The respect with 
which such words were heard seemed to me, more than any- 
thing else, to place M. Royer-CoUard apart in the exalted 
regions to which he naturally belongs. 

The man in whose pay Fieschi seems to have been, and 
whose name is Pepin, has at last been arrested. It was a 
great triumph, but — he has escaped ! A few hours after 
his arrest, following an order of the Court, this Pepin had 
been taken to his house from the Conciergerie where he 
was confined in order that a search might be made in his 
presence. He was taken by a Commissaire de Police and 
two men only, and the moment he got home he disappeared ! 
It is extraordinary that a man whose arrest and safe keeping 
were so important should be entrusted at midnight to the 
care of two guards, that he should not have been handcuffed, 
and that he should have been taken to his own house from 
which he no doubt knew of exits unknown to those in charge 
of him ! It seems that since the affair of June 6, 1832, 
in which Pepin was implicated, his house has been so 
arranged as to furnish him with means of escape. The 
Juge d'Instruction who allowed Pepin to escape by not 
having him properly guarded is called Legonidec ; he is a 
young Judge of the Paris Cour d'Assises. Some people 
think he will be seriously compromised by the carelessness 

1 The burial of General Lamarque, who died of cholera on June 2, 1832, 
took place on June 5, and was the occasion of a revolt which continued 
all day on the 6th. 



262 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

(if it is no worse) with which he has treated this very im- 
portant matter. 

They took me to see the ruins of the old castle, which are 
more extensive and important than I thought when I came. 
It was an important fortress in its day and was dismantled 
by the orders of Louis XI. in the time of the wars against 
Burgundy. 

Dijon, September 3, 1835. — I left Arlay this morning 
with grateful memories of the kindness with which Pauline 
and I were received. The Princesse d'Arenberg became a 
special friend ot mine ; her politeness, her kindness and 
simplicity, combined with much good sense and good 
manners, her education and talents, and her power of 
making good use of all these, assure this young woman a 
distinguished position among those of her age and rank of 
whom very few in my opinion are her equals. 

I went by the new road which goes by Saint Jean-de-Losne 
and is much shorter. The road is good and easy, but the 
country it crosses — rich no doubt and well cultivated — has 
no special beauty or even interest apart from its many 
chateaux and the Burgundian canal which is finely shaded 
by poplars. 

Pierres, the chateau of M. de Thiard, is the most important 
of those on the road. It seemed to me large and the sur- 
roundings of it are splendid, but its situation is not pleasant. 
It is a pity they are pulling down the castle of Seurre on 
the bank of the Saone. It seemed to me to be well placed. 
Toiran, La Bretonniere, and some others show that the 
province is well inhabited. 

I regret having arrived too late to see Dijon. It is a fine 
town with splendid buildings. The streets are animated. 
The park, an excellent public promenade about a quarter of a 
league from the town and connected with it by long avenues, 
must be a source of great pleasure to the inhabitants. 

Tonnerre, September 4, 1835. — The road from Dijon to 
Montbard is bare and flat and fatiguing to the eye. Mont- 
bard is an old feudal castle of the Dukes of Burgundy 
situated on a considerable eminence. It was presented by 



ANCY-LE-FRANC 253 

Louis XV. to M. de BufFon, who already possessed at the 
foot of the hill a rather large and melancholy house in one 
of the streets of the little town. He continued to live in 
this house which has nothing interesting in it except a fairly 
good portrait of the celebrated owner. He demolished four 
of the five surviving towers on the walls of the old chateau. 
The one he left still survives, as well as the enormous outside 
wall which now encloses nothing but a " quincunx " of fine 
trees planted by M. de Buffon, from which fine alleys lead 
to his house below. The trees make a delightful shady 
promenade. At the top of the grove there is a little 
house containing a single room in which M. de Buffbn used 
to establish himself for several hours every day in order to 
work uninterruptedly. He had a church built on part of 
the foundations of the fortress, and is buried there. M. de 
BufFon's house is occupied by his daughter-in-law, a widow 
with no children. 

The country becomes more varied as one approaches 
Ancy-le-Franc, a great and noble chateau built in the 
sixteenth century by Madame de Clermont-Tonnerre and 
afterwards bought by the celebrated Louvois, to one of whose 
descendants it still belongs. This chateau is perfectly 
regular in form ; it consists of four buildings joined at each 
corner by a square tower. There is no principal staircase ; 
each tower has its own — a very narrow one. The bedrooms 
are well proportioned and well furnished, but the public 
rooms are ill-arranged. They are small, especially the salon, 
in which the heavy gilding seems to add to the effect of 
smallness. Some ancient ceilings with panelling to match 
give some of the rooms a Gothic character which is interesting. 
The windows are few and narrow, and the courtyard small 
and sombre. The castle is entirely surrounded by a vast and 
well planted park. The water is ugly and muddy and I saw 
neither glass-houses nor flowers, though the ofiices are 
considerable. The high road crosses the fore-court a few 
yards from the house, which I think is carrying the principle 
of accessibility a trifle too far. 

What pleases me least is the situation of this abode. It 



254 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

lies at the bottom of a valley and lacks light, air, and a 
view. The English word " gloomy " seems made for Ancy- 
le-Franc. The chapel is fine, and it is needless to say that 
there is a theatre. How could the M. Louvois of to-day 
do without one ? 

I had often heard Ancy-le-Franc and Valen9ay mentioned 
as the two most considerable and remarkable chateaux in 
France. I cannot admit that there is any comparison. 
Valen9ay is much more imposing, and at the same time 
cheerful to live in. Its situation is picturesque and healthy : 
it is much richer in architectural ornament, and its finest 
part, which dates from the fifteenth century, is a hundred 
years older than Ancy-le-Franc, and in the purest Renaissance 
style. 

It has just occurred to me that I saw no library in M. 
Louvois' house. I am sorry I did not mention it to the 
concierge, who seemed, however, to be conscientiously showing 
us all there was to be seen. 

I prefer not only Valen^ay to Ancy-le-Franc, but, apart 
from tradition, even Chenonceaux, and I should prefer Usse 
also if it were put in order and furnished. 

Melun, Septemher 6, 1835. — The banks of the Yonne 
are pleasant enough, and are a welcome rest after the 
melancholy road from Dijon. It is a pity, however, that 
the vegetation is, so to speak, factitious. Up to Sens I 
saw no other trees than poplars planted in quincunxes or 
in avenues. This in the end becomes exceedingly mono- 
tonous, and gives a stiff and artificial look to the land- 
scape. 

The Cathedral at Sens is fine, and its proportions elegant. 
Two sculptures attract particular attention, the Mausoleum 
of the Dauphin father of Louis XVI., and the altar of Saint 
Leu, on which this good Bishop of Sens is represented 
undergoing his martyrdom, which, as a matter of fact, took 
place at Sens itself. The group is in white marble, and 
very effective. I think the general effect of the Dauphin's 
mausoleum is heavy. The composition lacks simplicity, 
jbut some of the parts are fine. The Treasury of the 



ENGLISH POLITICS 255 

Cathedral is not only very rich in relics whose authenticity 
is beyond question, but also in antiquities, which interested 
me because they bore the stamp of being genuine. Thus 
I saw the Episcopal throne of Saint Leu, his pastoral ring, 
his mitre, the pastoral ring of Gregory VII., the comb 
used by Saint Leu at ordinations, vestments used by 
Thomas Becket, who, as I lately read in Lingard, had 
taken refuge on the Continent when first persecuted, and 
had resided chiefly in France. These vestments are locked 
up with great care in an iron case. There is a fine 
crucifix by Girardon, which is worth seeing. 

In a letter from the Princesse de Lieven at Baden, dated 
August 29, which reached me at Sens, the following passage 
occurs : " We have strange news from England. Will 
Ministers really have the courage to carry out their threats 
against the Lords ? Will the latter give way before these 
threats ? I doubt it ; but the collision so long postponed 
is coming at last. In France all is going well. M. de 
Broglie's speech is splendid. Lord William Russell is 
always saying " Our alliance is at an end."" As France 
is repudiating revolutionary principles and England is going 
more and more in that direction, there is no basis of agree- 
ment. The alliance was one of principles, and as the 
principles are no longer identical the alliance is dead." 

Paris, September 7, 1835. — It is always a great event for 
me to get back to Paris where I have had so many bad 
moments. All my past unrolls itself before me as I pass 
through these streets and squares, which awake so many 
memories, almost all of them painful. 

As we passed along the boulevards I glanced with a 
shudder at the house from which Fieschi committed his 
crime. ' It is quite small and of a mean appearance. The 
too celebrated window is boarded up. In a year or two 
perhaps this house will be demolished, and I shall be sorry. 
They will no doubt build some memorial on the site, which 
will disappear in its turn with the first turn of the political 
weathercock, and will, in any case, be much less impressive 
than would be the preservation of the scene of the atrocity 



256 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

exactly as it is. If it were preserved it would assist tradition ; 
every one knows the history of the event, and may find a 
lesson in it. The Rue de la Ferronnerie still exists. They 
pulled down the Opera house in which the Due de Berry was 
assassinated only to demolish thereafter the chapel which 
was built in its place. And yet the chapel from which 
Charles IX. shot his subjects is still there, always pointed 
out, always referred to. Why should the crimes of monarchs 
be made manifest and those of peoples remain concealed ? 

I shall give some extracts from the letters from M. de 
Talleyrand which awaited me at Paris : " In the Ministry 
here you will find more politeness than friendship. To be 
intimate with M. Royer-CoUard and not to have prevented 
him speaking against the press law is too bad ! That is our 
real crime. Even Thiers has not been here for two days. I 
am not sorry, as I should have told him very plainly that I 
thought the articles in the Journal de Paris which he writes 
or inspires very improper, and that he should have so much 
respect for M. Royer-Collard as at least to keep silent. The 
confidence of the Tuileries is also one of the causes of the 
Ministerial coolness. . . . Thiers has lost a great deal at 
the recent sittings of the Chamber. To appear in the 
tribune with a copy of the National dating from before 1830 
in order to prove that one did not say so and so, is to rate 
oneself very low ! Men who have not been properly educated 
to begin with grow up with great difficulty ; they lose their 
heads whenever they are contradicted. . . . You cannot too 
highly praise M. de Broglie''s speech ; all the incense bearers 
in Paris have passed through his salon. . . . The affair of 
the escape of Pepin has much diminished the stability of 
the Ministry, which has shown itself so incompetent to deal 
with a serious situation. People say, ' If the Government 
doesn't serve the King better than that what have we to rely 
upon ? "" Thiers, instead of using his ability to consolidate 
his position, has used it to produce an impression of 
mere cleverness. He came badly out of these sittings. 
In the first place, he was beaten on an amendment of 
Firmin Didofs, then he brought his claims as a journalist 



THIERS' DIFFICULTIES 257 

into the tribune which produced a bad effect everywhere. 
And yet he is the best the Ministry have got, because he has 
humanity behind all his cleverness ; he loves his friends, he 
is a good creature (in the best sense of the term), but he 
requires to have good people about him, and those he has 
are the reverse. . . . Do not forget that espionage in the 
Chamber, in the streets, and in letters is pushed to the 
utmost lengths. . . . The King, the Queen, and Madame 
Adelaide look forward to seeing you among the greatest of 
their consolations. They need consolation, for I assure you 
they are very unhappy. The Guizots and the Broglies will 
perhaps talk to you of my coldness ; you can say to them 
that the coldness is not on my side. It did not come from 
me, but from them." 

Here now is an extract from a letter from Madame de 
Lieven, dated Baden, September 2 : " I have reason to 
believe, from a few lines I have from England, that there is 
an understanding between Peel and Lord Grey. The quarrel 
of the two Houses will be adjusted, I understand from Lady 
Cowper. They think very well of M. le Due de Nemours in 
England." 

Paris, September 8, 1835.— M. Thiers is aged and ill; 
his illness is nothing but fatigue and exhaustion, but what a 
life ! He is angry with his colleagues for grudging him the 
days of rest for which he asks, and roundly accuses them of 
cowardice for shrinking from assuming for three weeks a 
responsibility which burdens him all the year. But what a 
responsibility it is to preserve the King from the daggers of 
assassins ! Every day there is a new conspiracy ; to defeat 
them all is a superhuman task. 

Up till now Fieschi's crime has not been connected with 
anjrthing of importance. There are a few obscure public- 
house accomplices and that is all ; the Ministry cannot find 
anything bigger. M. Thiers even goes so far as to think it 
the most ominous feature of the case that such an atrocity 
should be the fruit not of fanaticism or intense passion, or even 
of some deep laid political conspiracy, but simply the product 
of the licence and anarchy which dominate the public mind. 

B 



258 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Fieschi, being pressed by a doctor to declare the motive 
which led him to commit the crime, replied, " I did it as a 
boy lets off a cracker." Hideous frivolity ! He asserts that 
all the clubs and secret societies, Carlist and others, were 
informed that on July 28 an attempt would be made to 
kill the King. Fieschi had relations with some ruffians of 
his own stamp ; these talked to their friends, and thus a 
vague rumour spread and even reached the Government. No 
details however were given, no proper names, nothing precise. 
As for Fieschi himself, he is simply an Italian bravo, who is 
always ready to set his hand to a crime even though the 
reward is not great. 

M. Guizot, who had to break the news to the Queen, 
told me that she was seized with an attack of nerves, that 
Madame Adelaide was in despair, and yet so angry that 
she lost all self-control and literally did not know what 
she was doing. As for Madame de Broglie, who was also 
at the Chancellerie at the Place Vendome with the Queen, 
she was much affected, but had her emotion under control. 
On this occasion M. Guizot told me that he felt inclined to 
compare Madame de Broglie's soul to a great desert in which 
there are beautiful oases. There are many gaps in her 
nature, and yet much force and power. 

_Paris, September 9, 1835. — The absurdities of Sebastiani 
are talked of even in the cabinet of Madame Adelaide ; and 
they seem in fact to pass all bounds. He is much laughed 
at in London, which he does not like at all. He says, in 
his dogmatic and paralytic way, " English society gives me 
indigestion.'" As for his wife, her silliness and simplicity 
have become proverbial. They entertain very little, and no 
one comes near them ; Lord Palmerston alone, in order to 
mark the contrast with the insolence with which he honoured 
M. de Talleyrand, is constantly paying little attentions to 
the General. He is always coming to see him, and is most 
careful to keep him supplied with all the news. 

The English Legion raised by General Ala va has just been 
beaten in Spain. The abominable canaille he recruited turned 
and fled at once. 



THE KING'S COURAGE 259 

The compromise between the two Houses in England has 
taken place ; it is a truce until next Session. 

I have seen the King, who gave me his account of July 28. 
It is a very curious thing that on the evening before he had 
told his Ministers that they would shoot at him from a 
window, that being the surest method of assassination. 
M. Thiers and General Athalin feared an attack at close 
quarters, and wished the King to take precautions against 
this, but he absolutely refused to do so as being useless. 
The King's advisers partly adopted his Majesty's view, but 
said they thought the attempt, if made at all, would be 
made in a narrow street. The King, on the other hand, 
maintained that they were wrong, and that the attempt 
would be made on the Boulevard because of the trees, which 
would afford better cover for the assassin. The King's pre- 
dictions all came true. He told me that the most cruel 
moment in his life — which has certainly not been without 
incident — was when the order of the review brought him 
back after half an hour to the scene of the crime, and he 
was forced to pass through pools of blood and among the 
dead and wounded, amid the cries and lamentations of the 
people who had been torn to pieces because of him. When 
he rejoined his family he burst into tears, and his first 
words were, " Poor Marshal Mortier is dead." No one could 
have been more self-forgetful, more simply courageous, and 
yet more moved by the misfortunes of others. His conduct 
was really admirable, as is unanimously admitted. 

The Emperor of Russia did not write personally, but con- 
tented himself with sending condolences by a charge d'affaires. 
This is all the worse, as he wrote a letter with his own 
hand to the widow of the Due de Trevise, who had been 
Ambassador at St. Petersburg. Several small Sovereigns 
were also silent. The letters from Austria were cordial, 
those from Prussia excellent. Saxony was tender, England 
correct, Holland kind but otherwise without interest. 

The King, who very justly fears any shock, wishes to keep 
the present Ministry as long as possible, but he thinks he 
already sees some new germs of division which he fears will 



200 DUC HESSE DE DING 

tiovoloj) liuring tho sirk loavo li>r whii'h M. 'riiiors hfis 
applied and Avhich will bo nocordod. The oomposilion of 
a new Cabinet. M'ould be very diflicult, cliiefly owing to tlie 
questicMi of the Pivsiilonev, which touches overvboilv's vanity- 
The Kino- woultl like to abt>lish tJie IVesidoncy tdtogether, 
mid witli tJiis in view he would like to entrust it for a sliort 
time to some except ii>nal person with whom no one woukl 
compete and who could have no successor. It is tluis tJiat 
he eomes to think o{' M, de Ttilloyiund. His Majesty is at 
least as antagonistic as ever to tlie doctrinaiiv party in the 
Cabinet, and feai-s abi>ve all that if there were a partial 
dissolution it would be this factor which would be 
stivngthened, 

I am always surpriseil when people lie without miy par- 
ticular object. It is quite natunil that newsptipers sliouUl 
ftuuise themselves by deceivino- the public, but when iVlinistei's 
of State anuise themselves by telling falsehooils the etlect is 
curious. Thus M. Guizot told me the day before yesteixlay 
tliat it was he who broke the news of the catastrophe of 
July 28 to the Queon at tlie Hotel de la Chancellerie. 
Well, it appeal's that the IVincesses were told of the dmiger 
ti> which the King had just been exposed while thev wore 
still at the Tuileries and on the point of leaving for tlie 
Chmicellerie, by two aides-de-camp sent by the King for tliat 
purpose! Vanity leads people into verv contemptible things. 
Could anything be more chiUlish tiiau to in\ out a lyii\g story 
about a fact of tliis kind ? 

Paris, St'ptrmhcT 10, 18^55. — M. le Due d'Orleans ivgivts 
that the Wiii-temberg project of mm-riag-e has not come oti'. 
He says he wishes to settle the matter tis ix^gaixls I*i'incess 
Sophia, and to visit Stuttgart when he next goes to Ciern\any. 
He says that if he nuuTied some one else without having 
seen her, he would be ctinviiu'ed that he had missetl his true 
fate. 

M. le Due d'Orleans is very bitter about the Ministry in 
gviieKil ; the royal family is disposed to blame the negligvnce 
and obstinacy (if it is no worse) of the police for what has 
happeneil. He is suiv that for some time back the police 



A DEVOTED COUPLE 261 

have been wanting in ability, but as for the escape of Pepin, 
ho is convinfXid it is due to the nogligonce of M. Pasquier, 
who sits languidly in an ann-chair and gives incomplete 
orders, and also to some extent to M. Martin du Nord, who 
transmits these orders, with even less detail, to inferior agents, 
who carry them out in the slackest way. M. Legonidec, in 
exculpating himself, makes very grave charges against his 
superiors, and some go so far as \a> say that M. Pasfjuier is 
negligent because he fears to find some Carlist at the bottom 
of the Fieschi affair. This is what Madame Adelaide wants, 
and what the Queen fears above all things. llie King 
thinks that the attempt has a Republican origin. The 
essential thing is to get at the truth if possible, and the 
determination of Ministers to see nothing in the whole affair 
but a conspiracy conceived in a cabaret is not one which is 
likely to lead to new discoveries. 

Prince I^opold of Naples is accusal of practising such 
duplicity in the matter of his marriage that any other than 
Princess Marie might have been disgusted with the affair. 
She is, however, anxious to be settled ; no other match offers, 
and, as the King says, " You know, of course, that Neapolitan 
princesses simply must be married." His daughter is half a 
Neapolitan. 

The eldest of our Princesses, the Queen of the Belgians, 
had so little inclination for the King, her husband, that she 
refuses ever to return to Compiogne, where her marriage was 
solemnised ; and it is chiefly for this reason that the Court 
is arranging to go to Fontainebleau. However, this dis- 
inclination on the part of Queen Louise has been transformed 
into a conjugal affection so intense that she lives almost shut 
up with the King in a tete-a-t6te which is hardly interrupted 
even by her ladies or the Master of the Household who 
receive all their orders in writing. The King and the Queen 
occupy adjoining rooms, the doors of which are left open. 
The King, who is timid and domestic in his habits, likes this 
sort of life very well, and it is much to his wife's taste, for 
she is only loved by her husband, while he is adored by her. 
I have these details from her brother, the Due d'OrMans. 



262 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Paris, September 11, 1835. — My son Alexander, who is 
just returned from Italy, says that the country is covered with 
monks flying from Spain and taking with them the treasures 
of their convents. The precious stones which come from this 
source are being sold cheap. 

The Queen of the French, though in delicate health, goes 
to bed late, and never retires without having herself read all 
the petitions addressed to her. She does this chiefly because 
she fears she might miss some information which might be 
given in this form and might concern the King's safety. 

On July 28, at the very moment when he saw his three 
sons round him, he turned to M. Thiers and, stretching out 
his hand, said, " Do not be alarmed : I am alive and well." 
These are words worthy of Henri IV. ! 

Mamtenon, September 12, 1835. — This place is quite 
restored and furnished. The rooms are fine ; there is a large 
establishment. The river is clear, and the aqueducts are on 
a great scale. For any one who does not miss a view, and 
who does not fear the damp, this old chateau, which has so 
many associations, is one of the most splendid and attractive 
abodes possible. 

Courtalin, September 13, 1835.^ — Here they know all 
about what is passing at the Court of Charles X. It is said 
that the language there on the subject of the crime of July 28 
has been very kind and correct. That unhappy Court spends 
its time in internal warfare and animosity. There are exactly 
the same intrigues and rivalries as there used to be at Rome 
at the Court of the Pretender. 

Rochecotte, September 14, 1835. — This morning I went to 
see the Prince de Laval at his pretty manor of Montigny, 
which he is arranging and adorning in the most delightful 
manner, while trying to preserve its Gothic character. It is 
a place which suits well with the heraldic tastes of its 
possessor. 

At Tours I found the Prefect rather irritated at a Minis- 
terial order requiring an exact report of the newspapers which 
the officials of the Government take in. This little in- 
l A castle belonging to the Due de Montmorencjf . 



BEAUREGARD 268 

quisition does, in fact, somewhat recall the curiosity which 
used to be displayed under the Restoration. 

Valen^ay^ September 15, 1835. — To-day I dined at Beau- 
regard with Madame de Sainte-Aldegonde. It is a fine 
house, an old hunting lodge of Fran9ois I., which he used 
when stag hunting from Chambord, in the Forest of Rousse. 
There is a gallery with a hundred and twenty portraits, which 
are very bad but interesting because they represent all the 
celebrated people of the period in Europe. The gallery is 
paved with tiles contemporary with the house. There is a 
good deal of old panelling and furniture very well preserved 
by their present owner. 

I arrived late at Valen9ay and found M. de Talleyrand 
thinner, complaining of palpitation of the heart, and of some 
rather painful trouble in his left arm. He had just got a 
letter from the King announcing the appointment of M. de 
Bacourt as Minister at Carlsruhe. The following extract 
refers to the want of deference with which M. de Broglie 
treats him : " My dear Prince, the method which in my 
' impotence ' I decided to use has proved completely suc- 
cessful, and what you desired ^ has been done. I wiahed to 
have at any rate the pleasure of announcing this to you my- 
self while renewing most cordially the assurance of my old 
friendship for you which you have known so long." 

The King of the French is not the only Sovereign who 
does not like his Ministers. The King of England hates 
his and speaks openly against them at table, as well as against 
his sister-in-law, the Duchess of Kent, who meanwhile is 
taking her daughter about from county to county receiving 
addresses and answering them just as if she were Regent 
already. 

Valen(^ay, September 16, 1835. — Mile. Sabine de Noailles 
is sixteen, very beautiful, very clever and well educated, with 
a voice like a man, an excellent memory like all the Noailles, 
and rather brusque manners. At dinner at Courtalin she 
raised her voice, and addressing M. de Talleyrand, who was 

1 An allusion to the request made to the King by M. de Talleyrand that 
M, de Bacourt should be appointed to Carlsruhe, 



264 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

not next to her, she said : " Uncle, will you drink a glass of 
wine with me ? " " With great pleasure, my dear nephew ! *" 
replied M. de Talleyrand. 

The Duke of Modena is playing the petty tyrant in his 
Duchy. One of his commonest practices is to have the 
whiskers and moustaches of those whose passports are in any 
way irregular cut off. The fashion of the day makes this a 
more cruel punishment than imprisonment, which, however, 
his victims have usually to suffer in addition ! 

The grandmother of the present Due d'Arenberg, an 
intimate friend of Maria Theresa, a great and noble lady in 
all respects, came to France under the Consulate to secure 
her removal from the list of Emigres and the restoration of 
such of her property as was still sequestrated. She stayed 
with the Marechale de Beauveau, who was a friend of hers. 
She had to write to Fouche requesting an interview, which 
being granted she went to the Hotel de Police. Her carriage 
was not allowed to enter, and she had to alight and cross the 
dirty courtyard. The Minister was engaged and could not 
receive the Duchess, whom he referred to his principal clerk. 
The latter said she might sit down while he was looking for 
the box with the papers about her case. He began to turn 
over an index and exclaimed, " But your name was removed 
a fortnight ago ; it is struck out altogether, and since I am 
the first to give you the good news I must have a kiss, 
Citoyenne d'Arenberg." Whereupon he seized the Duchess 
and kissed her on both cheeks. But before Madame d'Aren- 
berg was at the bottom of the steps he called her back, 
shouting : " Hi ! Citoyenne d''Arenberg ! I made a mistake ; 
it is not you but one d'Alembert who is struck out ! " So the 
poor Duchess had to go back to Madame de Beauveau having 
been kissed by the clerk but not struck out of the list. The 
First Consul, who heard the story next day, ordered the 
Duchess's name to be struck out at once and she got back 
her property. 

Valen^a^, September 17, 1835. — The Princesse de Lieven 
has had a curious conversation at Baden with M. Berryer 
the Advocate and Deputy. " What do you think, monsieur, 



BERRYER 265 

of the new laws proposed by the French Government on the 
occasion of the attempt of July 28 ? " "I approve of them 
in principle, and that is why I intend to absent myself from 
the Chamber, where my position would oblige me to oppose 
them." — " Do you think the Government will last ? " — " No." 
— " Do you think there will be a Republic ? " — " No." — " Do 
you think Henri V. will come in ? "— " No." — " What, then, 
do you think ? " — " Nothing, for in France it is impossible to 
establish anything." M. Berryer left the next day for Ischl 
to see Madame la Duchesse de Berry there, and is bound 
thence for Naples. 

Valen^ay, September 18, 1835. — I am anxious about M. 
de Talleyrand — not that I think that the symptoms he 
complains of are serious, but he is impressed by them. He 
often speaks of his end, and is evidently afraid of it, and 
thrusts the idea away from him with horror. He often sighs, 
and yesterday I heard him exclaim, " Ah, mon Dieu ! " in a 
tone of the deepest dejection. Politics and news interest 
him, but there is not much of those to be had here. 

Valen^ay, September 19, 1835. — Lord Alvanly came back 
in a cab from the scene of his duel with O'Conneirs son and 
gave a piece of gold to the cabman. The latter, surprised at 
this generosity, said, " What, my lord, a sovereign for taking 
you so near your death ? ^ — " No, my man, but for taking 
me back ! " 

I sent for the excellent Dr. Bretonneau from Tours to 
examine M. de Talleyrand. He says that the trouble is only 
muscular, the muscles being bruised and weary with the 
efforts M. de Talleyrand has to make owing to the failure of 
his legs. He thinks, moreover, that he is in a nervous state 
and is languid and bored, but that there is nothing danger- 
ous. The worst feature is the growing weakness of his 
extremities which might at any moment reduce him to 
complete helplessness. In short all the circumstances point 
to living with difficulty, but none suggest that the end is 
near. I hope that Bretonneau's presence and his kind and 
clever talk will have calmed M. de Talleyrand's mind. 

Valen^ai/, September 20, 1835. — General Sebastiani has 



266 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

been nearly blown up in Manchester Square in London. A 
new Fieschi had deposited an infernal machine there with 
the result that one poor woman was injured. There are as 
yet no further particulars. There is nothing but crime and 
mystery in these days ! 

M. Royer-Collard spoke to us yesterday of his last speech 
in the Chamber of Deputies. He said that if he had held 
his peace he would have thought himself dishonoured, that he 
would rather have had himself carried to the tribune than be 
silent in a situation in which the glory of his whole life was at 
stake, and finally that he would be dead now if he had not 
spoken and that the only reason he is not better than he is, 
is that he did not manage to express all that he was thinking. 

I was bold enough to touch on the subject of the Cours 
Prevotales ^ at the time of the second Restoration, for which 
he has been so much blamed lately, and M. Royer-Collard 
replied : " It is true that I, with several Councillors of State, 
was appointed to examine the Bill before the Minister in- 
troduced it in the Chamber. M. Cuvier and I opposed it in 
principle and secured many modifications in detail. M. de 
Marbois, who was then Garde des Sceaux, and who did not like 
the law, wished it to be introduced in the Chamber by people 
who were opposed to it, and appointed me Government 
Commissary without consulting me. I did not know what had 
been done till I saw the Moniteur and I complained bitterly. 
I did not appear in the Chamber as Commissary during the 
discussion of the law, and I defy any one to quote a word I 
ever said in its favour." He added that M. Guizot, then 
Secretary-General at the Ministry of Justice, should not have 
contented himself with being so good as to quote to his 
colleagues in the present Cabinet the Moniteur which contained 

1 In 1789 the Cours Prevotales were tribunals empowered to punish 
summarily and without appeal certain crimes and offences defined by an 
Ordinance of 1731. Under the Consulate and the Empire exceptional 
jurisdictions were established under the same name to deal with desertions, 
mutiny, political offences and smuggling. The Cours Prevotales of the 
Bestoration were composed of Judges of Courts of first instance, and were 
directed by a Prevot, a superior officer of the army. These Courts from 
1815 to 1817 took cognisance of offences against the public safety and 
acted retrospectively ; they were an instrument of Reaction and Political 
vengeance, 



' NERVES 267 

his name. He should at the same time have explained how 
it happened. If this accusation had been made in the 
Chamber instead of merely in the Ministerial press M. Royer- 
Collard would have ascended the tribune to give the true 
version of the matter. 

He is sorry to have wounded M. Thiers by his speech, which 
was not aimed at him, and he would have liked to be able to 
make an exception in his favour. 

M. Royer-CoUard, who has not always either thought or 
spoken well of King Louis-Philippe, has changed his mind to 
a remarkable extent. Last night, a propos of the fine portrait 
of the King which is here, he said he had gone up very much 
in his opinion, more than he was willing to admit to himself, 
so great was the contradiction between his past and present 
opinions on this point, and between his reason and his 
prejudices. 

Valen<^ay^ September 21, 1835. — M. de Talleyrand was 
reassured for a day or two by the conscientious and satisfactory 
report of Bretonneau, but has now relapsed into anxieties about 
his health. He admits that he thinks of nothing else and 
says that the cause lies in his state of mind, which is depressed 
and weary. Yesterday evening when I went back to his 
room I foimd him reading a medical book, studying the 
subject of heart disease, and fancying he had a polypus. Yet 
he suffers very little, only at long intervals, and then not with- 
out a purely natural cause. It is clear to me (and I know 
something about it) that he has an attack of nerves. He 
had no experience of this protean malady. He denied its 
existence in others and now he is a victim himself and will 
not admit it. 

They say that General Alava has been appointed President 
of the Council at Madrid. He has been saying for the last 
year that he only accepted the mission to London because 
the Duke of Wellington was in office. He remained in spite 
of the Dukes's resignation because, he said, Martinez de la 
Rosa was Premier at Madrid. The reason why he did not 
retire along with Martinez de la Rosa was, he explained, 
because Toyeno was also his friend ! He led the English 



268 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Legion he had raised in London to Spain in person, after 
having sworn to declare for Don Carlos on the day the Queen 
Regent should summon a single foreigner to defend her cause, 
and finally he seems to have been placed at the head of the 
Spanish Cabinet by Mendezabal, whom he once drove out of 
his house as a rascal and a thief ! This, it must be confessed, 
is to push the logic of inconsistency to its furthest limits ! 

Valengat/, September 22, 1835. — This is the first occasion 
for twenty years that I have spent this anniversary ^ away 
from M. de Talleyrand. He went away yesterday to the 
Conseil General at Chateauroux. I remained alone here 
with the generation which is destined to succeed him. This 
gave rise to one or two reflections, among which was that 
when M. de Talleyrand departs this life I should come here 
very seldom — not that I fear that I should not be well 
treated, but the memories of the past would make everything 
painful to me, and that the contrast which even yesterday was 
visible would become more marked. I did not feel that it 
was my business to manage and carry on the salon. It was 
not my house, and I longed for wings in order to fly to 
Rochecotte. 

M. Mennechet, up to the present time editor of la Afode, a 
Carlist paper, and defamatory on principle, says, " Just fancy ; 
for five years I have been leading forlorn hopes on behalf of 
the Prague people and I have only had two letters from 
them, one from King Charles X. bitterly complaining of the 
caricatures of Louis-Philippe which we had sent him and 
which he ordered us to stop, and the other from Madame 
la Dauphine who two months ago wrote me a very severe 
letter, sending me back my paper and saying that she would 
give up her subscription because we had published an article 
in which it was said that we had seen or received a letter 
containing good news about the Due de Bordeaux." M. 
Mennechet, much distressed by these two letters, has resigned 
the editorship. I think the letters are very reasonable and 
very creditable to the writers. 

1 September 22 is the day of Saint Maurice, the patron Saint of M. de 
Talleyrand. 



GENERAL SEBASTIANI 269 

Valen^ay, September 23, 1835. — I am impatiently await- 
ing M. de Talleyrand's return from Chateauroux. Though 
he has become depressed and irritable, his presence does good 
here. It fills this great castle, and maintains good conversa- 
tion and manners. Moreover, when he is here I feel there is 
a reason for my presence. 

Valen^ay, September 24, 1835. — Bretonneau's diagnosis is 
justified. M. de Talleyrand has returned from Chateauroux 
revived and pleased with the reception of the Prefect and the 
enthusiasm of the whole town as well as by the success of the 
road in which he is interested. 

Madame Adelaide writes that the King's expedition to the 
town of Eu has been not only good for his health but 
gratifying to him personally and to all his family. The 
testimonies of affection which he received all along the way 
were impossible to describe. 

Pepin was at last recaptured on the morning of the 22nd. 
This also I learn from Madame, but she had only just heard, 
and gives no details. 

M. de Rigny is said to be at Toulon, which proves that 
he has not been successful in his negotiations for the 
Neapolitan marriage. 

Valen^ayy September 28, 1835. — M. Brenier, who has just 
come from London, tells me that General Sebastiani hates 
music as much as his wife loves it. He will not allow her 
to go to the Opera or to concerts. One day, however, after 
many prayers, Madame Sebastiani obtained permission to go 
to a concert at Lady Antrobus's. It was on June 18, and 
the General was to call for his wife later. He arrived simul- 
taneously with the Duke of Wellington, who was in uniform 
and surrounded by many officers, all coming from the great 
military dinner given on the occasion of the anniversary of 
the Battle of Waterloo. The singers were at the moment 
singing a hymn in honour of the conqueror. Sebastiani was 
furious, and told M. de Bourqueney, his First Secretary, who 
had gone with him, to tell Madame Sebastiani that she must 
leave. She does not understand English, and therefore did 
not grasp what the words of the cantata meant, and at first 



270 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

refused to leave her place. M. de Bourqueney, stimulated by 
the furious gestures of the General, almost dragged the poor 
woman out by force over the seats. When she finally got to 
her husband he said to her, in his pompous and sententious 
manner, " I told you, madame, that music would be your 
ruin ! ■" 

It was this same M. Bourqueney, who was lately writing 
for the Journal des Dtbats before he went to London with 
Sebastiani, who had the impudence to insinuate that he pre- 
pared for M. de Talleyrand from Paris the speech which the 
Prince made to tlie King of England in delivering the letters 
accrediting him to tlie Court of St. James's in 1S30. The 
following is the history of this speech. M. de Talleyrand 
was just finishing dressing to go to the King, and said to me 
that it had occurred to him that it would not be amiss to 
say a word or two, as was the old fashion. In the peculiar 
circumstances of the time he thought it would be a good 
thing, but he had no time to prepare anything. Then he 
added : " Come, Madame de Dino, sit down and find me a 
few phrases, and please write them in your largest hand." I 
did so. He changed two or three words in my draft, which 
I recopied while his orders were being pinned on and his hat 
and cane were being brought. This is the precise history of 
this little speech, which by its fortunate allusions and a 
comparison between 1688 and 1830 atti'acted some attention 
at the time.^ 

It is the same with the letter of resignation which M. de 

Talleyrand wrote less than a yeai" ago. The general idea is 

that M. Royer-Collard was its author, so here again follows 

an exact account of what passed. My conscience had told 

me that it was absolutely necessary that M. de Talleyrand 

should send in his resignation, and I familiarised him by 

degrees with this idea. I knew tliat he always found it 

difficult to express his tlioughts in words, and tliat he pre- 

1 This speech is given at the end of this vohime. I shall quote only the 
phrase here referred to. " England, like France, repudiates in her foreign 
relations the principle of interfering in the affairs of her neighbours, and 
the ambassador of a monarchy established by the unanimous votes of a 
great people feels himself at ease in a land of liberty, in the presence of a 
soion of the illustrious House of Brunswick." 



A CLEVER SECRETARY 271 

ferred to act. I had, therefore, for a long time been 
considering what words it would be best to use. At last, 
one day last November, when we were alone here, I spoke 
again to M. de Talleyrand of the propriety, which was daily 
growing more obvious, of his sending in his resignation — a 
step from which he still shrank a little. He then said that 
the necessary letter would be very hard to write. Thereupon 
I immediately gathered together all that I had prepared in 
thought and put it into writing. I came back in half an 
hour and read what I had written to M. de Talleyrand, who 
was much struck with it and adopted it entire, all but two 
words, which he thought affected. I then asked him to 
submit the proposed letter to M. Royer-Collard, which he 
was quite willing to do. Next morning I left for Chateau- 
vieux. M. Royer-Collard thought well of the letter, only 
putting at the end " the thoughts which it suggests " instead 
of " the warning which it gives," as I had written, and replacing 
one expression at the beginning, which he thought too 
pompous, by another in better taste. Thus, without any 
further alteration, this letter afterwards appeared in the 
Moniteur, and for a good while occupied public attention. 
All the letters of this period written by M. de Talleyrand to 
the King, Madame Adelaide, and the Duke of Wellington, 
were first thrown on paper by me and then rehandled by 
him. It was only the first above-mentioned, which contained 
his resignation, which was corrected by M, Royer-Collard. 
The others were merely communicated to him, and he 
approved them all. 

Valengai^, October 1, 1835. — Yesterday I went to Chateau- 
vieux ; the weather was terrible. 

M. Royer-Collard said that, of all the people he had ever 
met, the two most alike were Charles X. and M. de la Fayette. 
They were both equally mad, equally obstinate, and equally 
honest. Speaking of M. Thiers, he said : " He is a good- 
humoured rascal with plenty of cleverness and some sparks of 
greatness, but capable of losing an empire by his recklessness 
and excitability." Referring to the recent repressive laws, he 
said : " I have no love for dictators, but reason tells me that 



272 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

they are necessary at times. Perhaps the present is one of 
these times. But where are we to find the Dictator? If 
they frankly proposed the King I could understand it, but to 
think of the present Cabinet occupying such a position ! " 

Valengay^ October 4, 1835. — Yesterday I heard some 
singular stories of M. Cousin, whose formerly revolutionary 
ideas have changed into monarchical sentiments of the most 
exalted character. Some delightful remarks on the subject 
are quoted. It seems that this illustrious Peer has composed 
a monarchical and Catholic Catechism. The work beinff 
completed it was laid before M. Guizot, who gave it his 
approval, as did M. Persil, Minister of Public Worship. 
The book was printed, sent out to educational establish- 
ments, and recommended to all the institutions under the 
University. After all this there came a poor priest with 
the book in his hand and proved that all these doctors had 
only forgotten one little thing in the whole system of 
Catholic doctrine, which was the doctrine of Purgatory, 
to which not the slightest allusion was made throughout the 
catechism, verified and approved as it was by M. Guizot, 
Minister of Public Instruction and a Calvinist ! 

Valeui^ay, October 10, 1835. — A pedantic and ill- 
mannered Prefect spitefully refused permission to M. de 
Talleyrand to plant a few trees, saying that he was "^ 
cheval sur la loV " Dear me," replied M. de Talleyrand, 
" you have chosen to ride a soiTy jade ! "" 

The celebrated Alfieri was at first attracted by the ideas 
of the French Revolution, but became so disgusted with 
them, tliat he determined to leave France. The reason of 
this was that one day he was driving four-in-hand in the 
Bois de Boulogne at a great pace, himself holding the reins, 
when the horses were requisitioned by force for the public 
service. That very evening he announced his departin-e, and 
in reply to entreaties that he should remain, he observed, 
" What on earth is one to do in a country where the 
nobility have no daggers and the priests no poison ! " 

Valen^ay^ October 16, 1835. — I am confronted with new 
anxieties. I had heard that the Princesse de Talleyrand 



A MERRY WIDOWER 273 

was in an alarming condition, and that her end appeared to 
be approaching. The Baronne de Talleyrand, who told me, 
asked me to prepare M. de Talleyrand for this event. I 
confess I shrank from this mission. The gloomy ideas which 
have so frequently recurred to M. de Talleyrand's mind for 
some time, the depression caused by his great age, the 
anxiety which he feels at the slightest symptoms, the sharp 
and painful impression made on him by the deaths of his 
contemporaries — all this made me hesitate to tell him that 
his wife's days were numbered. I was not afraid of the 
shock of the bereavement, for his heart is not interested. 
But the disappearance of a person much of his own age, with 
whom he had lived and of whom he had once been fond, or 
who had been so indispensable to him that he had given her 
his name — all this made me think that the Princess's danger 
would affect him deeply. 

I racked my brains to find some oblique way of getting at 
the subject without speaking directly of a seizure. My first 
remarks were received in silence, after which M. de Talley- 
rand immediately changed the subject. Next day, however, 
he returned to it, but only to refer to the embarrassment it 
would be to be in mourning if she did die, of the funeral, 
and of the cards that would be sent out. If the Princess 
did die, he said, he would go out of Paris for a week or a 
fortnight, and all this he said, not only without any trace of 
grief, but even in a tone of obvious relief. He immediately 
proceeded to enter on the financial questions of importance 
which are involved in his wife's death which would repossess 
him not only of her annuity, but also of other monies in 
which she has only a life interest. All the rest of the day 
M. de Talleyrand showed a kind of serenity and gaiety 
which I have not seen in him for a long time, and which 
struck me so much, that when I heard him positively 
humming a tune, I could not help asking him "if it was 
the fact that he was soon to be a widower that put him in 
such spirits." He made a face at me like a mischievous 
child, and went on talking about all there would be to do if 
the Princess were to die. He will have the satisfaction of 



274 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

an easier income, which will be a relief to him, as for some 
years past his revenues have, to his great annoyance, notably 
diminished owing to several causes. Besides this, it is pro- 
bably a relief to him (though he will not acknowledge this 
even to me), to see a bond snapped which was the greatest 
scandal of his life because it was the only one which was 
irremediable. 

Valen^ay, October 18, 1835. — After several months of 
silence, during which General Alava has come to grief at the 
head of the English ruffians he took with him to Spain, I 
have received a letter from him at Madrid, dated the 6th 
instant, which begins thus : " You were right, my dear 
Duchesse, when you once said that to enter Spain with 
foreign troops was to tempt Providence." The letter ends 
with another allusion to my prediction, which seems to have 
come true to a degree which poor absurd Alava can hardly 
bear. He insists, however, that he was in honour bound to 
this partisan existence which he dignifies with the epithet 
chivalrous, although it is merely Quixotic in the bad 
sense. 

He does not need to explain why he refused the Premier- 
ship, but he says he took the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
because he saw the safety of the Queen Regent was com- 
promised. He does not say how. He then adds that as 
soon as he was reassured on this point he retired completely 
from the Cabinet, that his only desire is to resume his duties 
in London as soon as the session of the Cortes is over. He 
seems to feel the uncertainty of this, for he says, " Heaven 
alone knows what obstacles may come between me and 
London before then." He ends by saying that if he goes 
back to England it will be by sea in order to avoid Paris 
which, according to him, is a very dangerous place for 
a Spanish diplomatist. 

As regards France, he says : " As they waited for the 
casus foederis heioTQ they acted, the casus mortis in which we 
find ourselves, relieves us of the necessity of thinking of our 
liberation, which is a thing of which dead men have no 
need." 



MARRIAGE PROJECTS 275 

Paris, October 23, 1835. — We have been back in Paris 
some days. 

M. le Due d'Orleans was speaking to me yesterday of the 
Neapolitan marriage planned for his sister Princess Marie, 
which did not come off, and he told me that he had applied 
to his brother-in-law, the King of the Belgians, who is here 
just now, to find some yoimger son of a great German House 
who would be willing to marry the Princess and come and 
live at Paris. Princess Marie is clever, but her imagination 
is vivid and restless ; she is fond of the arts, and is little 
Used to restraint or to pomp and ceremony. They think 
she would be happier if established in Paris, and certainly 
freer than she would be elsewhere. No opportunity seems 
likely to occur of a foreign marriage ; even the chance of 
such a thing seems more remote. The Princess is twenty- 
three, and the Queen is worried and anxious about it. 

The pretensions of the King's children are in all things 
much reduced, for M. Guizot said the other day, when 
M. de Bacourt was leaving for Carlsruhe, that there might 
not be much to do, but there was one thing, which was to 
preserve the last Princess of Baden for M. le Due d'Orleans. 
This Princess is the daughter of Stephanie de Beauharnais. 
I doubt if this marriage would be agreeable to the young 
Prince, who only yesterday, a propos of the Leuchtenbergs, 
said some hard things of the Beauharnais family. He said 
they were all intriguers, and would not make an exception 
even in favour of the Grand Duchess Stephanie of Baden 
who, in my opinion, deserves a place apart. She is not only 
a kindly woman, but there is in her a touch of sublimity, 
though she is a trifle too energetic and her pretensions to wit 
are excessive. 

The Princesse de Talleyrand is better, and so little 
concerned about her condition that all she thinks of is how to 
secure further advantages for herself at her husband's death. 

Paris, October 24, 1835. — M. Pasquier told us yesterday 
that they had been obliged to amputate one of Fieschi's 
finger-joints as a result of the wound caused by the bursting 
of his infernal machine, and that the patient grasped the 



276 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

injured finger with the other hand before the surgeons began 
their work saying : " Little one, I am sorry, but you are going 
to lose your head before I lose mine." His coolness, courage 
and physical strength are only equalled by his excessive vanity. 

I find the Tuileries depressing, Madame Adelaide aged, 
the King flushed and stouter. They are both cast down by the 
departure of the Prince Royal for Algeria. The punishment 
of an African brigand does not seem a sufiicient motive for 
risking so precious a life* They are displeased with Ministers 
for having rather encouraged than checked the adventurous 
and highly natural impulse of the young Prince. 

The cholera has ceased neither at Toulon nor in Africa ; 
it may yet cause some calamity to the King. The failure of 
the Neapolitan marriage disappoints, and the extreme coldness 
of the new Russian Ambassador discourages them. 

In the thirty- six hours he spent in Vienna with the 
ostensible purpose of paying his respects to the last Emperor 
of Austria, and with the real object of charming M. de 
Mettemich through his wife, and the Archduke Louis through 
the Archduchess Sophia, the Czar of Russia rushed all over 
the city in a cab, forced the vault in which the last Emperor 
is buried, and contrived to change his uniform four times ! 

A propos of the appointment of Count Pahlen as Russian 
Ambassador in France the Carlists are saying that nothing 
can more clearly prove the rapp-ochement of the Czar 
Nicholas with King Louis-Philippe than the choice of the 
son of a murderer as Ambassador at the Court of the son 
of a regicide. 

Paris, October 27, 1835. — M. de Talleyrand said yester- 
day that on his return from America, after all the horrors of 
the Revolution, he met Sieyes and asked him how he had 
got through that frightful time, and what he did during those 
miserable years. " I lived,"" replied Sieyes ! It was in fact 
the best, and the most difficult, thing to do ! 

The Government, wishing to find a pretext for the liberation 

of the Ham prisoners,^ eagerly seized on some symptoms of 

mental derangement shown by M. de Chantelauze. M. 

1 In 1830 the signatories of the celebrated decrees which led to the fall 



STATE PRISONERS 277 

Thiers intended after some months of an asylum to remove 
the prisoners to the country houses of friends who would be 
answerable for them, and with this end in view he had 
appointed a commission of celebrated physicians to inquire 
into the condition of M. de Chantelauze and at the same time 
that of the other ex-Ministers. M. de Chantelauze however, 
as soon as he heard of the impending arrival of the doctors, 
hastened to declare that he would receive them politely as 
eminent persons but not in their medical capacity, that he 
would answer none of their questions, and that he desired his 
complete and instantaneous liberation or nothing. I much 
doubt whether his companions in misfortune are pleased with 
him for showing so much disdain. 

Paris, November 14, 1835. — I have just had very friendly 
letters from Lord and Lady Grey. They are very busy with 
their estate of Howick, from which they write, and seem to be 
quite out of politics. 

Lady Grey says a thing which I echo with all my heart. 
" If my friends will only love me and I can possess a garden 
in summer and an armchair in winter I am perfectly happy 
in leading the life of an oyster. — Don't expose me to Madame 
de Lieven, she would think me unfit to live ! " 

Paris, November 16, 1835. — M. de Barante came to say 
good-bye. He leaves to-morrow for St. Petersburg with a 
full heart and an anxious mind. Since the famous speech ^ 
of the Czar Nicolas at Warsaw, which Madame de Lieven 
herself refers to as a catastrophe, and since the commentary 
of the articles in the Journal des Debats on this speech, the 
position of the French Ambassador is a very difficult one. 

of Charles X., MM. de Polignac, de Peyronnet, Guernon de Ranville, and 
Chantelauze, were prosecuted before the House of Peers, deprived of their 
titles, and condemned to perpetual imprisonment. They were then con- 
fined at Ham. 

1 The speech here mentioned was made on October 10, 1835, at Warsaw 
by the Emperor Nicolas, in the presence of the Corporation of that City, 
whom he was addressing. The Imperial words were filled with threats 
and reproaches to the Poles, formulated in terms so violent that they 
astonished Europe, where their authenticity was largely doubted. The 
allusions to clandestine relations maintained by the Polish rebels with 
foreign Powers, embarrassed more than one diplomatist, and more than 
one Government. This speech was published by the Journal des D4bat» of 
November 11, 1835, and will be found in the Appendix to this volume. 



278 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

The line lie is to take seems to me a good one and all the 
more prudent as it was traced for him by the King. 

We dined last night at the Tuileries, where there were only 
the Royal Family, the ladies and gentlemen actually in 
attendance, and some young people, the friends of the little 
Princes. M. le Due d'Aumale had just been head of his 
class, which put him in high spirits. He was the only 
member of the company who appeared to me to be so. 

The King was so kind as to have a charming portrait of 
Mary Stuart brought for me to see. It was all the more 
interesting as its history is pathetic. Mary Stuart's ladies 
went from England to Belgium immediately after their 
mistress's execution, and took with them this portrait which 
they placed in a public building where it still is. The 
Queen of the Belgians had a perfect copy of it made for the 
King, her father, and it is this copy which I saw. 

In the course of the evening the King had a long talk 
with M. de Talleyrand and asked him to take a journey to 
Vienna. This however he declined, alleging in excuse the 
season of the year, his age, and the presence of another 
Ambassador already accredited to Vienna. 

Paris, November 20, 1835. — The effect of the famous 
speech of the Emperor Nicolas to the municipality of W^arsaw 
has been no less disagreeable at Vienna than at Berlin. The 
English papers have attacked it violently. The Morning 
Chronicle^ the organ of the W^hig Cabinet, has been much 
more violent even than the Journal des Debats. A propos of 
the latter a curious thing has happened. The Government, 
wearied of all the indiscretions and improprieties committed 
by the Debats, which are becoming embarrassing owing to the 
semi-official colour of the paper, formed the idea of giving 
more importance to the Moniteur by inserting carefully- written 
articles, thus taking away the Ministerial importance of the 
Debats. This was the King's idea, and was adopted by the 
Cabinet. VV^hen, however, the question arose who should have 
the direct control of the Moniteur the Due de Broglie claimed 
it as President of the Council, whereupon the King at once 
dropped the plan, and things are as they were before. 



BRITISH AFFAIRS 279 

Letters from England report that the English Ministry is 
much embarrassed. Lord John RusselPs timid speech at 
Bristol, without satisfying the Conservatives has irritated the 
Radicals and the Irish Catholics extremely, and the Cabinet's 
very existence appears to be seriously threatened though the 
question is adjourned until the opening of Parliament. 

The more I see of Count Pahlen, the new Russian Ambas- 
sador, the more excellent I find his disposition. I know 
on excellent authority that he has written to his Court in 
clear, simple, straightforward and kindly terms about what he 
has lately thought and seen. He did not conceal how much 
his social position was suffering owing to the instructions he 
had received, and he added that he did not feel bound to 
remain in such a position, declaring finally that his Govern* 
ment should either modify its first instructions or recall him. 
This declaration was sent off yesterday. The King and 
Madame Adelaide are impatiently awaiting the answer, which 
of course will decide what relations there will be in future 
between our Government and that of Russia. 

Paris, November 23, 1835. — Here are the leading points 
of a letter which I have just received from the Duke of 
Wellington. " We are still on the path on which we 
entered five years ago. All we can hope for is that the pace 
will not be too fast. To stop, and, above all, to return, is 
impossible. Robespierre was at least honest as regards 
money, his power was founded on disinterestedness ; but 
those who intend to govern us and who are going to be our 
rulers will not be guided by the same considerations. At 
least I fear not." 

Paris, November 24, 1835. — I spent a curious morning 
yesterday of which I wish to give a detailed description, but 
in order to be understood I must say a few words by way of 
preface. 

I have a cousin named Louisa de Chabannes. In her early 
youth she was very pretty, and sang and painted. She was 
well bred but poor, and got no opportunity of marrying. 
She^became retired, unsociable, weakly, and almost ugly. I 
used to see her three or four times a year, and I was always 



280 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

struck by the weariness of her manner, by her pallor and 
thinness, and by her silence and nervousness. Seven years 
ago I heard that she had joined the Grandes Carmelites. I 
was not surprised, for though she had never been exactly pious, 
it was quite clear that she was ill at ease in the world. 
However, like all her relations, I was quite convinced that the 
austerities of this severe Order would soon destroy that fragile 
and ailing organism. I heard, however, at long intervals, 
from her brother Alfred that she was still alive, and indeed 
much better than she used to be. 

Yesterday morning I got a letter beginning, " My dear 
Cousin," and ending " Soeur Therese de Jesus." For 
a moment I did not understand ; then I recollected Louisa de 
Chabannes. In this letter she said that having at last 
obtained permission to see me from her Superior she begged 
me to come at once. Yesterday was one of the very few days 
on which visits are allowed, and she added that in order that 
I should not be terrified she had as a great favour obtained 
permission to see me with her face uncovered and without 
witnesses. I should have been very sorry to disappoint the 
poor woman, and as I had business with the Archbishop, 
who lives in the same neighbourhood, I resolved to do both on 
the same day. 

I left at two, and drew up at the end of the Rue d'Enfer 
before a doorway surmounted by a cross. The doorkeeper 
told me that Vespers were not over, for the nuns said the 
Great Office every day, and that I should go into the Chapel. 
I did so. At the end of the choir there is a grille armed with 
projecting points, behind which is a great btown veil, and 
the voices of the Sisters come from beyond this. Besides 
myself there were only two old ladies in the chapel, the only 
ornaments of which are a kneeling statue of Cardinal 
Berulle in white marble and several portraits of S. Theresa. 
I did not know my cousin well enough to recognise her 
voice, but the Office came to an end almost immediately, and 
I went back to the doorkeeper"'s room, where I found the 
convent doctor, who had just called. 

While they were away announcing his aiTival and mine he 



A HAPPY NUN 281 

saw that I was shivering, for in this house there never is any 
fire except in the infirmary and in the kitchen. The doctor 
then spoke to me of the regime of the estabhshment, which he 
^declares is not unwholesome, and to prove it said that after 
numerous observations he had come to the conclusion that the 
average age reached by women outside was thirty-seven, whereas 
among the Carmelites it was as much as fifty-fdiir. He 
left me to go to the infirmary and soon afterwards they took 
me to the parlour, which also was without a fire. A little 
cane arm-chair, on which was spread a mat also of cane, was 
drawn up to an iron grille lined with a wooden casing, and 
behind this double barrier there was a curtain of brown wool. 
After a few moments I heard a lock turned and some one 
came forward to the grille and said in a clear voice, " Deo 
gratias.'''' I did not know what to reply and was silent, 
when the same voice repeated ^^ Deo gratias."" Thereupon I 
had to say " I have not been told what answer I should give." 
A little burst of laughter disconcerted me — " My dear 
cousin, I only wanted to be sure that it was you." The 
curtain was drawn and I saw before me a round fresh smiling 
countenance lit up by two bright blue eyes. Instead of the 
feeble voice I expected I heard rich, animated, and rapid 
accents. The thoughts which she expressed were kindly and 
sweet, and the assurances she gave of her happiness and con- 
tentment were corroborated by her appearance, which certainly 
was strikingly reassuring in a nun so strictly cloistered. She 
is forty-eight and does not look thirty-six. She thanked me 
very much for having come, and handed me a little medal 
with an effigy of the Blessed Virgin, begging me to make M. 
de Talleyrand wear it without his knowledge. " This medal," 
she said, " brings back to the Faith even those who have 
wandered furthest from it." I did not refuse to do as she 
wished, as to do so would have been horribly unkind. Be- 
sides, there is something catching in a faith so sincere and so 
vivid ! I said that I would look for a favourable moment 
for carrying out her blessed purpose. 

I left much touched, and very thoughtful after saying 
adieu, probably for ever, to this charming and happy woman, 



282 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

I who sleeps on a board, never has a fire, fasts the whole year 
, round, and would be disti*essed if she did not say with S. 

/ Theresa, " may I suffer or else die." 

' I went on the Rue Saint-Jacques to the Convent of the 
Dames Saint-Michel to see tlie Archbishop, to whom I wished 
to speak about a project of marriage between my second son 
and Mile, de Fougeres. I was conducted by one of the 
sisters, clad in white from head to foot, to a little separate 
building Avhich looks into the immense garden of the Convent. 
M. de Quelen has lived here almost entirely since the des- 
truction of his palace. His apartments are clean, pretty, and 
very well looked after. 

I found the Archbishop well and in good spirits and very 
much pleased to see me. He at once began to talk to me 
about my children, of their future and their marriages. I did 
not hesitate to go into details with him on tliis subject. He 
listened kindly and said that he would always be delighted to 
testify the interest he took in the family of the Cardinal de 
Perigord, and particularly in my children. I must know 
that he had a special interest in me which was due to the 
qualities I possessed, and to the fact that he had always re- 
garded me as the instrument which Providence would pro- 
bably use to accomplish its merciful and redeeming work on 
M. de Talleyi'and. I made him promise to pay a morning 
call on M. de Talleyi'and fi'om time to time, as he used to 
do before our departure for England. When I left he said 
" Treat me as you used to do, as a relative, and promise me i 
that you will come and see me again about the New Year." " 
I said I would, and asked if I might then present my 
daughter, who had been baptized and confirmed by him. 
" And who, I hope, will not be maiTied by any one else," he 
replied, on which I took my leave. 

Paris, December 6, 1835. — Here is a stoiy which M. 
Mole told me last nig-ht. Madame de Caulaincourt 
(Mile. d"'Aubusson) married in 1812. On leaving the church 
after the ceremony she went back to the convent where she 
had been educated, and her husband left for the front. He 
was killed at the battle of La Moskowa, where his brother- 



A TRAGIC STORY 283 

in-law, a young page of the Emperor, disappeared and was 
never heard of again. Madame de Caulaincourt, after her year 
of mourning, returned to Society, but did not go out much. 
She kept her father's house, he having been for long a 
widower. Her eldest brother, shortly after his marriage with 
Mile, de Boissy, became completely insane, and her sister, the 
Duchesse de Vantadour, was attacked by a slow consumption. 
The father, all of whose children were stricken, decided to 
marry again, and did, in fact, marry Madame Greffuihe, mother 
of Madame de Castellane. Madame de Caulaincourt then retired 
to a convent, where she wished to take the veil. Her father 
opposed this and the Archbishop of Paris, whose consent was 
necessary, refused to give it so long as M. d'Aubusson with- 
held his approval. Madame de Caulaincourt was forced to 
give up her idea, but she took part in the exercises of the Sister- 
hood and wore their habit, never leaving the convent except 
when her father was ill. Her grief at not being allowed to 
follow her vocation undermined her health and the mischief 
settled naturally on her chest. On her deathbed she at last 
obtained her father's permission and sent for the Archbishop, 
to whom she communicated her desire to take the veil at the 
same time as she received extreme unction. There were some 
difficulties about this, but they were overcome, and forty-eight 
hours before she breathed her last she received the last sacra- 
ments and the veil that she so ardently desired ! She died 
yesterday morning, in the odour of sanctity, a young woman. 

Paris, December 9, 1835. — Madame la Princesse de 
Talleyrand died an hour ago. I have not yet told M. de 
Talleyrand more than that she was dying. Even where there 
is no affection the word " dead " has a sinister sound, and I 
do not like to say it to an aged man in ill-health — the less 
so as when he awoke to-day he had another slight heart 
attack, which abated on the application of mustard to his 
legs. He fell asleep again, and I shall tell him of his wife's 
death when he again awakes. He is in haste, I think, to be 
free at all costs from the agitations of these last days. 

Paris, December 15, 1835. — M. Guizot came to see M. 
de Talleyrand yesterday, and told us that among the papers 



284 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

of M. Real, formerly Chief of the Imperial Police, there had 
been discovered the original manuscript of the Memoirs of 
the Cardinal de Retz, with the erasures made by the monks 
of Saint Mihiel. The manuscript had been bought by the 
Government, which had invoked the aid of the cleverest 
chemist in Paris, who, having vainly tried various methods, 
had finally discovered one which enabled the superimposed text 
to be removed and the original to be read. A new edition 
of the Memoirs, based on this manuscript, is to be published. 

Madame d'Esclignac, who is behaving very badly about 
the property of the Princesse de Talleyrand, had a discussion 
on the subject yesterday with the Duchesse de Poix. The 
latter tried to make her see the impropriety of her conduct, 
how odious the publicity of a lawsuit would be, and how 
ungrateful to M. de Talleyrand, who gave her a dowry and is 
still paying a pension to her old nurse, whom she had left to 
die of hunger. To all this Madame d'Esclignac replied : 
" For my own part I do not fear any scandal, and as far as 
my vmcle is concerned I desire it. I shall have the Faubourg 
Saint-Grermain on my side, for I had the Archbishop of 
Paris to administer the last sacraments to Madame de 
Talleyrand." 

Paris, December 21, 1835. — Count Pahlen received from 
his Government yesterday very satisfactory despatches, which 
assure him that the extravagances of the Journal des Debats 
are not confounded with the views of the King and his 
Ministers. These despatches, which came by post, were quite 
obviously intended to be read by the public. The Am- 
bassador expects a coui'ier every day, who will no doubt bring 
an expression of the private views of the Czar. 

The Princesse de Lieven, whom I met yesterday at Madame 
Apponyi's, spoke to me about her affairs, and said that for a 
long time back her husband and she had invested all their 
savings out of Russia in order that they might be safe from 
ukases. 

The Prince de Laval said yesterday, amusingly enough, 
that M. de Montrond's wit " fed on human flesh ! " M. de 
Talleyrand thinks this " very true and very neat ! " 



ANOTHER PLOT 285 

PariSf December 30, 1835. — -I saw Madame Adelaide 
yesterday. She was much satisfied with the opening sitting 
of the Chambers, which had taken place that very morning. 
She was pleased with the reception the King had, both coming 
and going, and along all the way from the Garde Nationale. 
There had been great difficulties in settling the terms of the 
speech from the Throne, which was still under discussion ten 
minutes before the sitting. The words " the Head of my 
Family,'"' which are causing a great sensation, which are 
thought bold, but Avhich please the diplomatic corps and 
every one who is on the side of stability, originate neither in 
the Palace nor in the Cabinet. They come from a sentence 
composed by M. de Talleyrand and me, which the King 
eagerly adopted, but the Cabinet would only authorise the 
words " the Head of my Family." The Carlists think them 
insolent ! They are horrified at the idea of a fourth family ! 
The Republicans like them no better, perhaps rather worse ; 
. . . every one else approves of them highly. 

Yesterday we had at dinner Madame de Lieven, Mr. 
Edward EUice, Count Pahlen, Matuczewicz, and M. Thiers, 
who was in high spirits and very brilliant in conversation. 
He took me into a comer and told me that le Bergeron, of 
Port Royal, had a new criminal enterprise in hand. He had 
disguised himself in woman's clothes along with one of his 
friends, with the intention of making as if to present a 
petition to the King, and while doing so to shoot him point 
blank. The plan miscarried because the King, instead of 
riding to the Chamber as he had intended, went in a carriage 
because of the frost. Several arrests were made, but as 
nothing was actually attempted it is thought that they will 
have to release the suspects. 

The fact that eight horses were attached for the first time 
to the King's carriage attracted attention. The real reason 
for this is unknown to the public, and is as follows. For 
greater safety the King (without his knowledge) was given 
the carriage formerly used by the Emperor Napoleon, which 
is hned with iron throughout to protect it from shots ; it is 
extremely heavy, and requires eight horses, 



286 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Count Pahlen yesterday received despatches modifying his 
first instructions, which were very severe in their terms and 
made his position here impossible. It appears that this has 
been clearly understood at St. Petersburg, and that he is to 
be given more scope. This will greatly please Madame de 
Lieven ! 



APPENDIX 



Speech made on October 6, 1830, 6?/ M. de Talleyrand on the 

occasion of his presenting his credentials to the King of 

England as Ambassador of France at the Court of 

St. James''s. See page 270. 



Sir, 

His Majesty the King of the French has chosen me to be 
the interpreter of his sentiments towards Your Majesty, and I 
have joyfully accepted a mission which sheds so much lustre on 
the end of my long career. 

Sir, of all the vicissitudes which I have seen in the course 
of my long life, in all the changes of fortune which I have 
experienced during forty eventful years, nothing perhaps could 
have so completely satisfied my desires as an appointment 
which would bring me back to this happy country. But how 
times change ! The jealousies and prejudices which so long 
divided France and England have given place to sentiments of 
esteem and enlightened affection. Common principles bind the 
two countries even more closely together. England in her foreign 
policy repudiates, like France, the principle of interfering in her 
neighbour's foreign relations, and the Ambassador of a Monarch 
who is the unanimous choice of a great people feels himself at 
ease in a land of liberty in the presence of a scion of the illustrious 
House of Brunswick. I appeal. Sir, with confidence for your 
countenance in the duties with which I am charged at your 
Majesty's Court, and I pray that your Majesty will be pleased to 
accept the homage of my profound respect. 



II 

Speech addressed by H.I.M. the Czar Nicolas to the 
Municipality of Warsaw on October 10, 1835.* 

Gentlemen, I know that you wished to speak to me, and I 
even know the contents of the speech you proposed to make. 
It is in order to save you from uttering a lie that I do not 
allow that speech to be made — Yes, Gentlemen, a lie — for I 
know that your sentiments are not what you would have me 
believe. How could I believe you whose language on the eve 
of the Revolution was the same ? Was it not you who five 
years since, aye eight years since, talked to me of your fidelity 
and devotion, and made the finest protestations ? Before a 
fortnight had gone you broke your oaths and committed the 
most atrocious crimes. 

The Emperor Alexander, who did more for you than an 
Emperor of Russia should have done, was recompensed with 
the blackest ingratitude. You have never been content with 
your position, however advantageous it has been made for you, 
and you have ended by destroying your own happiness — I am 
telling you the truth as this is the first time that I have had 
occasion to see you since the late troubles. Deeds, Gentle- 
men, are required, not words. Repentance must come from 
the heart. I am speaking without heat; you see that I am 
calm : I bear you no malice and I will do you good in spite of 
yourselves. 

The Marshal here is carrying out my intentions and assisting 
me in my plans; he too is concerning himself with your welfare. 
{Here the member's of the deputation bowed to the Maishal). Well, 
Gentlemen, what do these bows mean .'' Before all things you 

1 This speech first appeared in the National, The Moniteur reproduced 
it some days later, 



APPENDIX II 289 

must do your duty and behave like decent people. You have to 
choose one of two courses, either to persist in your illusions about 
the independence of Poland, or to live quietly like faithful 
subjects under my government. 

If you are obstinate enough to go on dreaming of a separate 
nationality, of an independant Poland and chimeras of that kind 
the only possible result will be that you will bring disaster on 
your own heads. I have built a fortress here and I assure you 
that on the slightest symptom of revolt I will have the town 
bombarded. I will destroy Warsaw, and most assuredly it will 
not be I who will rebuild it. 

It is very painful to me to speak to you thus. It is very 
painful for any sovereign to have to address his subjects in such 
terms ; but I do so for your good. Your business, Gentlemen, is 
to labour to deserve that the past should be forgotten, and it is 
only by your devotion to my government that you can achieve 
this. 

I know that correspondence is carried on with foreign countries 
and that malignant persons are sent here to pervert you. But 
with the best police in the world clandestine relations cannot be 
altogether suppressed on a frontier like yours. You must your- 
selves act as police for the suppression of the evil. Bring up 
your children well and inculcate good principles of religion and 
fidelity to their sovereign, and you will have no difficulty in 
keeping the right road. 

In the midst of all the troubles which are agitating Europe 
and all the theories which threaten the fabric of society, Russia 
alone stands firm and intact. Believe me, gentlemen, it is a piece 
of real good fortune to belong to her and to enjoy her protection. 
If you behave well and fulfil all your duties my paternal solicitude 
will be extended to you all, and in spite of all that has passed 
my government will constantly study your welfare. 

Think well of what I have said to you ! 



i 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF THE NAMES OF 
PERSONS MENTIONED IN THIS BOOK 



ABERCEOMBY, George Ralph (1800-1852). A colonel in the British 
Army ; also a Member of Parliament and a Lord Lieutenant. He 
was a member of Lord Grey's Cabinet. 

ABERDEEN, George Hamilton Gordon, Earl of (1784-1860). He served 
with distinction in the British Diplomatic Service, was a member of 
several Ministries, and became Prime Minister in 1852 for three years. 

ABERGAVENNY, Henry, Earl of (1755-1843). Married in 1781 Mary, 
only daughter of Lord Robinson. The family name is Nevill. 

ABRANTES, Laure de Saint-Martin-Permon, Duchesse d' (1784-1838). De- 
scended through her mother from the Imperial family of the Comneni. 
Born at Montpellier, she married General Junot on his return from 
Egypt, followed him on his campaigns, studied and observed much, 
and on her husband's death in 1813 devoted herself to the education 
of her children. She wrote several novels more suited for the circu- 
lating library than for serious reading. 

ADELAIDE D'ORLE'ANS, Madame (1777-1847). Youngest sister of 
King Louis-Philippe, to whom she was devotedly attached. This 
Princess had much influence on her brother, and was spoken of as his 
Egeria. She was a woman of intellect, and in the time of the Restor- 
ation she helped to gather round Louis-Philippe the most distinguished 
men of the Liberal Party, and in 1830 she persuaded him to accept 
the Crown. She never married, and left her immense fortune to her 
nephews. 

ADELAIDE, Queen (1792-1849). Daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. 
In 1818 she married the Duke of Clarence, who ascended the throne 
of England as William IV. 

AGOULT, Anne Henriette Charlotte de Choisy, Vicomtesse d'. Died in 
1841. She was lady-in-waiting to Madame la Dauphine, whom 
she followed into exile. She died at Goritz. She married the 
Vicomte Antoine Jean d'Agoult, who died in 1828. He was a Grand 
Cross of the Order of St. Louis, and Governor of Saint Cloud. He was 
made a Peer of France in 1823 and a Knight of the Saint Esprit in 
1825. 



292 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

ALAVA, Don Eicardo de (1780-1843). Lieutenant-General in the Spanish 
Army. Along with the Prince of Orange he was aide-de-camp to the 
Duke of Wellington during the war, and at that time became intimate 
with the future King of the Netherlands. He was Minister Pleni- 
potentiary of Spain in Holland, in London, and in Paris after the death 
of Ferdinand VII. In 1834 he was made a Senator by the Queen 
Eegent, Maria Christina. After the insurrection of La Granja he 
retired from public life and settled in France, where he died. 

ALBANY, Countess of (1753-1814). Caroline de Stolberg. She married in 
1773 the Pretender, Charles Edward, who had taken the title of Count 
of Albany. She separated from him in 1780 and lived with the poet 
Alfieri, who had a great passion for her, and who secretly married her 
after the death of the Count of Albany. After Alfieri's death the 
Countess returned to Florence, where she formed relations with the 
French painter Fabre. 

ALCUDIA, Comte d'. A Spanish statesman. He was a member of the 
Calomarde Ministry during the lifetime of Ferdinand VII., and replaced 
Salmon at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He v/as, however, always 
a person of secondary importance, and lost his place at Calomarde's 
death. 

ALDBOROUGH, Cornelia, Lady. The eldest daughter of Charles Landry ; 
she married Lord Aldborough in 1804. 

ALEXANDER THE GREAT, King of Macedon (356-323 B.C.). 

ALEXANDER I., Czar of Russia (1777-1825). Eldest son and successor 
of the Czar Paul I., he was celebrated for his great struggle with 
Napoleon. 

ALFIERI, Count Victor (1749-1803). The great Italian tragic poet. Left 
an orphan at an early age his education was much neglected, but at the 
age of twenty- five a sudden change took place in him. To please the 
Countess of Albany, who had inspired him with a taste for poetry and 
literature, he undertook a most elaborate course of study, created a 
new system of poetical composition, and wrote prose works which 
entitle him to rank with Machiavelli himself. 

ALLEN, George (1770-1843). A learned English doctor, who produced 
numerous works on history, metaphysics, and physiology. He was 
very intimate with Lord Holland and lived with him. 

ALTHORP, John Charles Spencer, Lord (1782-1845). An English states- 
man. He was made Chancellor of the Exchequer after having been 
Home Secretary and a Lord of the Admiralty. His eloquence and 
financial capacity were only moderate, but he was a laborious and 
conscientious Minister and proverbial for his political honesty. 

ALVANLEY, Lord (1787-1849). Son of Richard Pepper-Arden. Created 
Lord Alvanley in 1801. He had a duel with Morgan, son of O'Connell. 

AMELIA, Princess of England (1783-1810). The last of King George III.'s 
fourteen children, her father's favourite and companion. She died 
unmarried at the age of twenty -seven. 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 293 

AMPERE, Jean-Jacques (1800-1864). Professor at the College de France. 
A distinguished man of letters, member of the Academic des inscrip- 
tions et belles-lettres, and of the Academic fran^aise. 

ANNE OF AUSTRIA, Queen of France (1602-1666). Eldest daughter of 
Philip II., King of Spain. She married Louis XIII., King of France, 
and at his death became regent during the minority of her son, 
Louis XIV. 

ANNA PAULOWNA, Queen of the Netherlands (1795-1865). She was a 
daughter of the Czar Paul of Russia, and in 1816 married King 
William II. of the Netherlands. 

ANNE, Queen of England (1665-1714). Daughter of James II. During 
her reign there was a long struggle with Louis XIV. , and the Union 
of England and Scotland was brought about. 

ANTROBUS, Lady (1800-1885). Only daughter of Hugh Lindsay and wife 
of Sir Edmund Antrobus. 

APPONYI, Countess (1798-1874). Daughter of Count Nogarola ; married 
in 1818 Count Antony Apponyi, who for many years was Austrian 
Ambassador at Paris. 

ARBUTHNOT, Mrs. Died in 1834. Mrs. Arbuthnot and her husband, 
Charles Arbuthnot, nicknamed " Gosh " in society, were the most 
intimate friends of the Duke of Wellington, with whom they lived, 
and were very well known in the best London society. 

ARENBERG, Louise Marguerite, Duchesse d'. Born 1730. She was the 
only daughter and heiress of the last Count de la Mark, and married 
in 1748 Duke Charles d'Arenberg. 

ARENBERG, Prosper-Louis, Due d' (1785-1861). Married a Princess 
Lobkowitz in 1819. 

ARENBERG, Prince Pierre d' (1790-1877). Married first, in 1829, Mile, de 
Talleyrand-P6rigord,who died inl842. In 1860 he married the daughter 
of Count Kannitz Rietberg, widow of Count Antony Starhemberg. 

ARENBERG, Princesse Pierre d' (1808-1842). Alix Marie Charlotte, 
daughter of the Due de Perigord. 

ARGENSON, Comte Voyer d' (1771-1842). Grandson of Marc-Pierre 
d'Argenson, Minister of War under Louis XV. He entered the army 
in 1791, In 1809 he was Prefect of the Department of Deux-Nethes 
(Antwerp). Under the Restoration and the Monarchy of July he was 
a Deputy and conspicuous for his liberal opinions. He married the 
widow of Prince Victor de Broglie, mother of Duke Victor. 

ARNAULT, Antoine Vincent (1766-1834). A French tragic poet and 
fabulist. He attached himself to Bonaparte at an early period, and 
accompanied him to Egypt, and was made by him Governor of the 
Ionian Islands. He then worked at the organisation of Public 
Instruction. He was made a member of the Institut in 1799, and in 
1833 became Perpetual Secretary of the Academic frangaise. 



294 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

ASHLEY, Lord (1801-1881). Au English statesman and philanthropist. 
In 1830 he married Lady Emily Cooper, and in 1851, on the death of 
his father, became Earl of Shaftesbury, In 1826 he was elected to 
the House of Commons, and was a member of several Ministries. 

ATHALIN, Baron Louis Marie (1784-1856). A French General of Engi- 
neers. Served with distinction in the Imperial Campaigns, received 
the title of Baron after the Battle of Dresden, and under the Restora- 
tion became aide-de-camp to the Due d'Orleans. He was entrusted 
with several diplomatic missions and was made a Peer of France when 
Louis Philippe ascended the throne. After 1848 he retired into 
private life. 

AUBUSSON DE LA FEUILLADE, Pierre Hector Raymond Comte d' (1765- 
1848). Under the First Empire he was Chamberlain to the Empress 
Josephine, then Minister Plenipotentiary and Ambassador. The 
Emperor made him a Peer during the Hundred Days, but the 
Restoration removed him. He did not re-enter the House of Peers 
till November 1831. He was the father of the Duchesse de Levis and 
the last of his name, having in 1842 lost his son who had become 
insane. 

AUGEREAU. Pierre Franyois Charles (1757-1816). Marshal of France 
under the First Empire and Due de Castiglione. He distinguished 
himself in several campaigns and carried out the coup d'etat of 
18th Fructidor. 

AUGUSTA, Piincess of England, daughter of King George III., died 
unmarried. 

AUSTRIA, Emperor of, Ferdinand I. (1793-1875). Son of Francis II., 
ascended the throne in 1835. His incapacity for Government and his 
bad health obliged him to leave the control of affairs to a regency 
chiefly directed by Prince Metternich. He abdicated in 1848 in 
favour of his nephew Francis Joseph I. 

AUSTRIA, Archduke Louis Joseph of (1784-1864). Son of the Emperor 
Leopold II. and of the Empress Marie Louise, daughter of Charles III. 
of Spain ; he was Director-General of Artillery. 

AUSTRIA, Archduchess Sophia of (1805-1872). Daughter of Maximilian I., 
King of Bavaria, married in 1824 the Archduke Francis-Charles, and 
was the mother of Francis Joseph I. 



B 

BACKHOUSE, John, died in 1845. An English author and statesman. He 
was for some years Canning's private secretary, and was twice Under 
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. 

BACOURT, Adolphe Fourrier de (1801-1865). A French Diplomatist and 
a Peer of France. He was sent to assist the Prince de Talleyrand while 
the latter was King Louis Philippe's Ambassador in London, and was 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 295 

afterwards Minister at Carlsruhe and Washington, and Ambassador at 
Turin. He resigned in 1848. 
BAILLOT, a young officer and an only son who was killed in Paris during 
the imeute of April 13, 1834, by a pistol shot fired at him point blank 
while he was carrying an order from Marshal Lobau. 

BALBI, Comtesse de (1753-1839). She was the daughter of the Marquis 
de Caumont la Force and married the Comte de Balbi, a Genoese. 
She was lady-in-waiting to the Comtesse de Provence, and was honoured 
with the friendship of the Comte de Provence (afterwards Louis 
XVIII.). 

BAEANTE, Baron de (1782-1866). He was successively Auditor of the 
Conseil d'Etat, charged with various diplomatic missions. Prefect 
of La Vendee, and then of Nantes, Deputy, Peer of France and 
Ambassador at St. Petersburg. He was very successful as a historian 
and was elected to the Academy. 

BARRINGTON, Charles, a young Englishman intimate with Lord Holland 
towards 1832. 

BAREOT, Odilon (1781-1873). A French politician. He began as a 
lawyer and took an active part in the Revolution of 1830. Under 
Louis-Philippe he was the leader of the dynastic Left. 

BARTHB, Felix (1795-1863). French magistrate and statesman. He 
was connected with the Carbonari and a violent opponent of the 
Restoration. In 1830 he was a Deputy and was subsequently Minister 
of Public Instruction, Garde des Sceaux, and President of the Cour 
des Comptes. In 1834 he was made a Peer. In the Mol§ Cabinet he 
was Minister of Justice, and in 1852 he was summoned to the Senate. 

BASTARD D'ETANG, Comte (1794-1844), French magistrate and poli- 
tician. Conseiller k la Cour in 1810, in 1819 he was summoned to the 
House of Peers. He conducted the prosecution of Louvel with 
integrity, showed much political independence, and after 1830 was one 
of the members of the Upper House charged with the prosecution of 
Charles X.'s ministers. 

BASSANO, Hughes Bernard Maret, Due de (1763-1839). Began as a 
lawyer, and in 1789 published the bulletins of the National Assembly, 
thus founding the Moniteur Universel. Bonaparte after the 18th 
Brumaire made him Secretary General to the Consuls, and afterwards 
a Minister. He always accompanied the Emperor, was made Due de 
Bassano in 1811 and Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 1831 Louia 
Philippe made him a Peer of France, and in 1834 he was for a very 
brief period Minister of the Interior and President of the Council. 

BASSANO, Duchesse de, Madame Maret, wife of the Due de Bassano, waa 
Maid of Honour to the Empresses Josephine and Marie-Louise. 

BATHURST, Henry, Earl (1762-1834). An English Statesman and one of 
the most eminent members of the Tory Party. He was Secretary of 
State for Foreign AfEairs, for War and for the Colonies, as well as 



296 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

President of the Board of Trade and Lord President of the Council in 
the Duke of Wellington's Ministry. He was an intimate friend of the 
Duke and an implacable enemy of Napoleon I., whom he caused to be 
banished to St. Helena. 

BATTHYANY, Countess (179S-18iO). Nie Baroness von Ahrenfeldt. She 
married Field-Marshal Count Bubna. She became a widow in 1825 
and married in 1828 Count Gustave Batthyany Stratlman. 

BAUDRAND, Marie-Etienne Franjois, Comte de (1774-1848). A French 
General. Served under the Eepublic in the Armies of the Rhine and 
Italy, took part in the Battle of Mont Saint Jean as Chief of Staff, 
became a Peer of France under Louis Philippe, was aide-de-camp to 
the Due d'Orleans at the siege of Antwerp in 1832, and in 1837 became 
Governor of the Comte de Paris. 

BE AUHARNAIS, Eug&ne de (1781-1824). Son of General de Beauharnais 
and Josephine Tascher de la Pagerie, who afterwards became Empress 
by her second marriage with Bonaparte. Eugene de Beauharnais took 
an active part in the Wars of the Empire. In 1805 he was appointed 
Viceroy of Italy, and in 1806 he married the Princess Augusta, 
daughter of the King of Bavaria. After the fall of Napoleon he 
retired to Bavaria with the title of Duke of Leuchtenburg. 

BEAUHARNAIS, Hortense de (1783-1837). Daughter of the Empress 
Josephine, married in 1802 Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland, and 
became the mother of Napoleon III. Under the Restoration she 
received a pension and the title of Duchesse de Saint-Leu. 

BEAUHARNAIS, Stephanie de (1789-1860). Daughter of Claude de Beau- 
harnais, Chamberlain of the Empress Marie-Louise, married in 1806 
the Grand Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Baden, who died in 1818. 

BEAUVEAU, Marechale Princesse de (1720-1807). Marie Charlotte de 
Rohan-Chabot ; married first in 1749 J. B. de Clermont d'Amboise, and 
secondly, in 1764, the Prince de Beauveau. 

BEAUVILLIERS, Duchesse de (1774-1824). She was the seventh daughter 
of the Due de Mortemart by his first marriage with Mile. d'Harcourt, 
She married Frangois, Due de Beauvilliers de Saint-Aignan, Peer of 
France. 

BEDFORD, John, Duke of (1766-1839). Married, firstly, a daughter of 

Viscount Torrington ; and, secondly, a daughter of the Duke of 

Gordon. His third son was Lord John Russell. 
BEDFORD, Duchess of. Died 1853. Daughter of Alexander, Duke of 

Gordon. Married in 1803 the Duke of Bedford. 
BEIRA, Duchesse de (1793-1874). Marie-Therese, Infanta of PortugaL 

In 1813 she lost her husband, Don Pedro Carlos, Infante of Spain, and 

and married, secondly, the Infante Don Carlos of Spain in 1828. He 

died in 1855. 
BELFAST, Anne Henrietta, Lady (1799-1860). Married Lord Belfast 

in 1822. 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 297 

BELGIUM, Princess Louise d'Orleans, Queen of (1812-1850). Second 
wife of King Leopold I. of Belgium, and daughter of Louis Philippe, 
King of France. 

BENCKENDORFF, Alexander, Count (1784-1844). A Russian officer. In 
the rebellion of 1825 he showed great devotion to the Emperor 
Nicolas, who made him his aide-de-camp and created him Count and 
Senatoi'. He was the brother of the Princesse de Lieven. 

BERANGER, Madame de. Died in 1826. She was a Mile, de Lannois 
and married in 1793 the Due de Chatillon Montmorency. In 1806 she 
married, secondly, Comte Gua de Beranger. 

BERANGER, Mile. Elisabeth de. A daughter of the Duchesse de Chatillon 
by her second marriage. She married the Comte Charles de Vogiie, 
brother of the Marquis. 

BERGAMI, Barthelemy. An Italian postillion in the stables of Queen 
Caroline, wife of George IV. of England. The Queen raised him to 
the rank of Chamberlain after she had left England and taken refuge 
in Italy. He was very good-looking, and had two brothers, Balloti 
and Louis. The Queen made the latter her steward, and entrusted 
her financial affairs to the former. Their sister, who had married a 
Count Oldi, became her Lady-in-Waiting. 

BERGERON, Louis. Born in 1811 : a French journalist. After 1830 he 
threw himself into the Republican movement, and in November, 1832, 
was accused of having shot at Louis Philippe. He was acquitted, but 
in 1840, having struck M. de Girardin at the Opera in the course of a 
polemical discussion, he was condemned to three years' imprisonment. 

BERRY, Due de (1778-1820). Second son of the Comte d'Artois (Charles X.). 
He followed his family during the Emigration, and returned to France 
in 1814. In 1816 he married the Princess Caroline of Naples. He 
was assassinated at Paris on February 13, 1820, by Louvel, who wished 
to extinguish in him the race of the Bourbons. He left, however, a 
posthumous child, the Due de Bordeaux. 

BERRY, Duchesse de (1798-1870). Princess Caroline, daughter of Francis I., 
King of the Two Sicilies. Married in 1816 the Due de Berry, and was 
the mother of the Comte de Chambord. 

BERRYER, Antoine (1790-1868). An advocate of the first rank, and the 
orator of the Legitimist party. He was several times Deputy, and 
was elected to the Academic in 1855. At twenty years of age he 
married Mile. Caroline Gauthier. His last years were spent in retire- 
ment on his estate of Augerville. 

BERULLE, Cardinal Pierre de (1575-1629). Distinguished alike by his 
kindly and conciliatory temper, by his religious firmness and by the 
extent of his knowledge. He powerfully assisted Cardinal de Peyron 
in his controversies with the Protestants ; he established the Order 
of the Carmelites in France, and founded the Congregation of the 
Oratory. 



298 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

BERTIN DE VEAUX (i;ii6-1842). Born at Essonnes. He founded in 
1799 the Journai dcsDchats, along with his brother. He was Conseiller 
d'Etat, Deputy, Vice-President of the Chamber, Minister at the Haguei 
and a Peer of France. 

BIGNON, Louis Pierre Edouard, Baron (1771-lSil). A French diplomatist ; 
Secretary of Legation in Switzerland, Sardinia, and Prussia. He was 
Minister at Cassel and Oarlsruhe, and Administrator in Poland and 
Austria under the First Empire. He was made a Deputy in 1S17 and 
a Peer of France in 1S37. 

BIRON, Armand Louis, Due de (1747-1793). Known under the name of 
Lauzun. He took part in the American War of Independence. In 
1792 he was made Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of the Rhine. 
Accused of treason by the Committee of Public Safety and tried 
before the Revolutionary Tribunal, he was condemned to death and 
executed. 

BIRON-COURLANDE, Princess Antoinette de (1S13-18S1). Married the 
Comte de Lazareff, a Russian colonel. 

BJOERNSTERNA, Magnus Frederick Ferdinand. After the Battle of 
Eckmiihl he was sent on a mission to Napoleon I. He was afterwards 
]Miuistex--Plenipotentiary at London, 

BLACAS, Pierre Louis Jean, Due de (1770-1839). Attached himself to the 
person of Louis XVIII. during his exile, and at the Restoration was 
made Minister of the King's Household. He became a member of the 
House of Peers, and was sent to Naples to negotiate the marriage of 
the Due de Berry with the Princess Caroline, and to Rome to conclude 
a concordat which never came into operation. 

BOIGNE, Comtesse de (17S0-1S66), Ad^le d'Osmond married the Comte 
de Boigne in 179S during the Emigration. The Comte, after an adven- 
turous life, had returned from India with a large fortune. From 1S14 
to 1S59 Madame de Boigne's salon was one of the most important in 
aristocratic, diplomatic, and political circles in Paris. The Due 
Pasquier was its most regular habituL 

BOISMILON, Jacques Dominique de (1795-1S71). A French teacher who 
was made Secretary to the Due d'Orleans. He was afterwards attached 
to the Comte de Paris, and was promoted Officer of the Legion of 
Honour in 1845. 

BOISSY, Mile, Rouille de. Sister of the Marquis de Boissy, Peer of France. 
She married Comte Pierre d'Aubusson, who became insane and died 
in 1842. She herself died in 1855. 

BOLIVAR, Simon (1783-1830). The Liberator of America. He freed 
Venezuela and New Granada, which he united in a single Republic 
under the name of Columbia. 

BONAPARTE, General. See NAPOLEON. 

BONAPARTE, Jerome (17S4-1S60). King of Westphalia. The youngest 
brother of Napoleon I. In his youth he had married a Miss Paterson, 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 299 

whom the Emperor forced him to divorce in order that he might 
marry Princess Catherine of Wiirtemberg. 

BONAPARTE, Lucien (1773-1840). The third brother of Napoleon I. 
He had many talents, but an independent character. He was in dis- 
grace with his brother and retired to Rome, where Pope Pius VII. 
raised his estate of Canino to the rank of a Principality. 

BONNIVARD, Francois de (1494-1571). Historian and politician ; Prior 
of Saint-Victor in the territories of Geneva. He made common cause 
with the Genevan patriots against Charles III., Duke of Savoy, who 
coveted the place. When the Duke became master of Geneva he 
imprisoned Bonnivard at Chillon, where he remained six years. He is 
the subject of Lord Byron's fine poem " The Prisoner of Chillon." 

BORDEAUX, Due de (1820-1883). Son of the Due de Ben7 and grandson 
of Charles X. He lived in exile with his family from the year 1830, 
either at Frohsdorff in Styria or at Venice. He used the title of 
Comte de Chambord. He married an Archduchess of Austria, and 
never had any children. 

BOULLE, Andre Charles (1642-1732). A celebrated cabinet maker. 

BOURQUENEY, Baron, afterwards Comte de (1800-1869). Connected 
with the Journal des D6hats, then Maltre des Requetes to the Conseil 
d'Etat. He afterwards took up diplomacy, and was Secretary of 
Embassy in London, and thereafter, In 1844, Ambassador at Con- 
stantinople, and, in lS.'ii9, at Vienna. He soon afterwards gave up 
diplomacy and entered the Senate. 

BRAGANZA, Duchess of (1812-1873). Amelia Augusta, daughter of 
Eugene de Beauharnais, Viceroy of Italy, and of a Bavarian Princess. 
She was the second wife of Dom Pedro I., Emperor of Brazil, who 
died in 1834. 

BRENIER, de Renaudi^re, Baron (1807-1885). He was sent on a mission 
to Greece in 1828, and was afterwards Secretary of Embassy at London. 
Lisbon, and Brussels. In 185.5 he was French Minister at Naples. 

BRESSON, Charles, Comte (1788-1847). A French diplomatist who under 
Napoleon I. was an official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1833 
he was appointed First Secretary at London, and in 1835 he was made 
Minister at Berlin, where he re-established friendly relations between 
France and Prussia. In 1841 he became Ambassador at Madrid, and 
in 1847 at Naples, where he killed himself in a fit of insanity. 

BRETONNEAU, Dr. Pierre (1788-1862). A celebrated French physician, 
who lived at Tours, his native place, where he settled, being indifferent 
to fame. He was one of the greatest ornaments of the French medical 
school, and did much good among the poor. 

BROGLIE, Due de, Achille Charles Victor (1785-1870). Member of the 
House of Peers, where he distinguished himself by defending Marshal 
Ney on the occasion of his case. He belonged to the doctrinaire party, 
and was several times in office under Louis Philippe. He was a 



300 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

member of the Academie fran9aise, and was married to a daughter of 
Madame de Stael. 

BROGLIE, Duchesse de (1707-1840). Albertine de Stael married the Due 
Victor de Broglie in 1814. Madame de Broglie was beautiful, serious, 
and pious, and had the reputation of being rather severe. 

BROOKE, Lord. Born in 1818. Married in 1852 Anne, daughter of the 
Earl of Wemyss, and succeeded his father as Earl of Warwick in 
1853. 

BROUGHAM, Henry, Lord (1778-1868). An English politician and man 
of letters, a brilliant contributor to the EdinhurgK Review, and after 
making a great success at the Bar, entered Parliament in 1810. He 
was the celebrated and successful defender of Queen Caroline, who had 
been accused of adultery. He was made a Peer and Lord Chancellor 
in the Ministry of Lord Grey in 1830. 

BROUGHAM, Lady. Died 1865. Mary Anne, daughter of Sir Thomas 
Eden, married firstly Lord Spalding. On his death she married Lord 
Brougham in 1819, by whom she had one daughter named Eleonora, 
who died of consumption at the age of seventeen. In the hope that 
the fine climate might cure her, Lord Brougham built a house at 
Cannes, and so laid the foundation of the prosperity of that resort. 

BiJLOW, Henry Baron von (1790-1846). A Prussian diplomatist. In 1827 
he was appointed Prussian Minister in England, and took part in the 
Conference of London in 1831. Afterwards he held the portfolio of 
Foreign Affairs in Prussia. He married the daughter of Wilhelm von 
Humboldt. 

BURGERSH, John, Lord (1811-1859). After the death of his father he 
became Earl of Westmorland. After being aide-de-camp to the Duke 
of Wellington, he adopted the career of diplomacy and was Minister 
at Florence, Berlin, and Vienna. He was a great musician and com- 
posed several operas. 

BUTERA, Prince di ; died 1841. He was an Englishman named Wilding, 
who married the Princesse di Butera, the representative of a great 
family of Palermo. By decree of the king of the Two Sicilies in 1822 
he was authorised to add the title to his name. In 1835 another 
decree made him in his own right Prince di Radoli, a title which 
he bore until his death. He left no heir. 

BYRON, George Gordon, Lord (1788-1824). A celebrated English poet. 
At the commencement of the Greek War of Independence he went to 
the scene of action and died at Missolonghi. 



CALOMARDE, Francis Thade (1775-1842). A Spanish statesman who was 
the life and soul of his country's policy after the restoration of 
Ferdinand VII. He was a member of the Ministry of Grace and 
Justice in 1824, and managed to preserve a preponderating influence 



BIOGKAPHICAL INDEX 301 

over the king. He became the leading spirit of the reactionary party, 
was partly responsible for the decree whereby Ferdinand VII. abo- 
lished Salic law in Spain, and severely punished the Carlist risings.' 
However, when the King was struck down by serious illness in 1832, 
and was believed to be dead, Calomarde was the first to salute Don 
Carlos with the title of King, and Queen Christina exiled him to his 
estates when she became Regent. He was on the point of being 
arrested when he fled to France, where he lived in retirement until his 
death. 

CAMBRIDGE, Augusta, Duchess of, daughter of the Landgrave Frederick 
of Hesse-Cassel. Married in 1818 Adolphus Frederick, Duke of 
Cambridge, seventh son of George III. of England. He died in 
1857. 

CAMPAN, Madame (1752-1822). Jeanne Genet who, at fifteen years of 
age, became lectrice to Mesdames, daughters of Louis XV. She 
married M. Campan, and became first woman of the Bedchamber to 
Marie Antoinette. During the Revolution she retired to the Valley of 
Chevreuse, and founded a school for young ladies to which Madame 
de Beauharnais sent her daughter. Napoleon I. afterwards made 
Madame Campan superintendent of the school which he founded at 
Ecouen for the education of daughters of Members of the Legion of 
Honour. 

CANINO, Charles Jules Laurent, Prince of Canino and Musignano (1803- 
1857). Son of Lucien Bonaparte. Married a daughter of Joseph 
Bonaparte. He was President of the Roman Constituent Assembly 
in 1848, was a distinguished naturalist and a corresponding member 
of the Institute of France. 

CANIZZARO, Duchess of. An Englishwoman who married Francois de 
Plantamone, Duke of Canizzaro, who for several years was Minister of 
the Two Sicilies at the Court of England. 

CANNING, George (1770-1827). An English statesman. He left the Bar 
and entered the House of Commons in 1793 as a supporter of Pitt, who 
made him an Under Secretary of State. Afterwards he was in Opposi- 
tion, and later was Ambassador at Lisbon. He travelled on the 
Continent, and his association with the Parisian Liberals altered his 
principles. In 1822 he became Foreign Secretary, and thenceforward 
concerned himself with Liberal reforms. He was a generous friend of 
the Catholics. 

CANNING, Charles John, Earl (1812-1862). An English statesman, son 
of George Canning. He entered the House of Commons in 1836 and 
took the side of the Opposition led by Sir Robert Peel. On his 
father's death he went to the House of Lords, and became Under 
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. In 1846 he was appointed to 
the Woods and Forests, and in 1852 was made Postmaster-General. 
He was subsequently Governor-General of India, where for two years 
be bad to struggle with the Mutiny. 



302 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

CANNING, Lady (1817-1864). Eldest daughter of Lord Stuart of 
Rothesay, Married Lord Canuing in 1835 and died childless. 

CANOVA, Antony (1757-1822). A celebrated Italian sculptor. 

CAPO D'ISTRIA, Jean Antoine, Count (1776-1831). Born at Corfu, he 
was educated in Italy and entered the Russian service. The Czar, 
Alexander I., sent him on several missions to Germany, Turkey, and 
Switzerland. He was a plenipotentiary on the occasion of the second 
Treaty of Paris in 1815. He afterwards retired to Switzerland and 
supported the Greeks in their revolt. He was assassinated by the sons 
of the Bey of the Maniotes. 

CARLISLE, George William, Earl of, Viscount Morpeth (1802-1864). On 
his mother's side he was the grandson of the beautiful Duchess of 
Devonshire. He filled with distinction the position of Lord-Lieu- 
tenant of Ireland under the Liberal Administration of Lord John 
Russell. 

CARLOTTA, The Infanta (1804-1844). Daughter of the King of the Two 
Sicilies and sister of Queen Marie Christina of Spain, wife of Don 
Francesco de Paulo, Infante of Spain. 

CAROLINE, Queen (1781-1821). Daughter of the Duke of Brunswick ; 
married in 1795 the Prince of Wales, who became Regent in 1810, and 
King of England in 1820 as George IV. Her husband publicly 
accused her of adultery, and the resulting case is famous. The 
inquiry only proved that her Majesty had been guilty of indiscre- 
tions. 

CARRAOI, Annibale (1560-1609). Considered the greatest of the painters 
of his family, the members of which were almost all distinguished 
artists. 

CARREL, Armand (1800-1836). A celebrated French publicist. He was 
educated at Saint Cyr, and took an active part in the semi-Liberal, 
semi-Bonapartist conspiracies of the time of the Restoration. On 
the occasion of the Spanish Revolution he went in secret to fight for 
the Constitutionalists. He quitted the sword for the pen, and became 
editor in chief of the National, a newspaper founded by Messieurs 
Thiers and Mignet for the purpose of hastening the downfall of the 
Bourbons and the elevation of the House of Orleans to the throne. It 
was only in 1832 that the National adopted the principles of Re- 
publicanism. Carrel fought a duel with M. de Girardin, and died forty- 
eight hours later as the result of the wounds he received. 

CASTELLANE, Andre, Marquis de (1758-1837). Deputy for the nobility 
in 1789, he joined the Tiers Etat, and was secretary of the Constituent 
Assembly. During the Terror he was thrown into prison and only 
escaped the guillotine owing to the death of Robespierre. In 1802 he 
was made Prefect of the Basses Pyrenees, and thereafter Maitre des 
Requetes to the Council of State. Louis XVIII. made him a Peer of 
France in 1815, and Lieutenant-General in the following ye^r. He 
was the father of Mars^ial d^ Castellane. 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 303 

CASTELLANE, Comtesss de (1796-1847). Cordelia Greffulhe married 
the Comte de Castellane, afterwards Marshal of France, in 1813. 

CASTLEREAGH, Robert Stuart, Viscount, Marquess of Londonderry 
(1769-1822). He entered the House of Commons, where he supported 
the policy of Pitt. He was a fierce enemy of the French Revolution, and 
the life and soul of the coalitions against Napoleon I. While he was 
Secretary for War he furnished subsidies to the Powers fighting against 
the Emperor. At the Congress of Vienna in 1815 he sacrificed Poland, 
Belgium, Saxony, and Genoa. He was vehemently attacked in 
Parliament, and killed himself in a fit of insanity. 

CASTRIES, Armand Charles Augustin de la Croix, Due de (1756-1842). A 
deputy to the States General, he had taken part as a Colonel in the 
American War of Independence. He was an energetic defender of 
the Royal prerogatives, and in a duel which sprang from a political 
discussion he wounded Charles de Lameth in the arm. As a result of 
this he was obliged to retire to Germany. In 1814 he was made a 
General of Division and a Peer of France. He afterwards rallied to 
the July monarchy. 

CATHERINE of Aragon (1483-1536). Daughter of Ferdinand of Aragon 
and of Isabella of Castillo. Married successively Henry VII. and 
Henry VIII. of England. The latter repudiated her in order to 
marry Anne Boleyn, and this divorce was the origin of the English 
schism. 

CATHERINE dei Medici (1519-1589). Queen of France, daughter of 
Lorenzo II. dei Medici, married Henry II. King of France, and was 
Regent during the minority of her second son, Charles IX. Catherine 
brought from Italy a taste for art. She built the palace of the Tuileries 
and continued the building of the Louvre. 

CATHERINE Paulowna, the Grand Duchess (1788-1819). Daughter of 
the Czar Paul I. of Russia. Married first Prince Peter of Holstein, 
then William I., King of Wiirtemberg, by whom she had a daughter. 

CAULAINCOURT, Comtesse de. Died in 1835. Blanche d'Aubusson 
married in 1812 Auguste Jean Gabriel de Caulaincourt, who was 
killed at the Battle of La Moskowa, and who was the brother of the 
Due de Vincence. 

CELLES, Antoine Charles, Comte de Visher de (1769-1841). A member of 
an illustrious family of Brabant, he was elected a member of the 
States General for that province. Napoleon I. made him Maltre des 
Requetes to the Council of State and Prefect of the Loire-Inferieure, 
and afterwards of the Zuyder-see. After 1814 he became a subject of 
the King of the Netherlands, and was for some time a member of the 
provincial estates. King Leopold having sent him to France as 
Minister Plenipotentiary, M. de Celles became naturalised and became 
a Councillor of State io France in 1833. He was the brother-in-law of 
Marsh3,l Gdrapd, 



304 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

CHABANNES la Palice, Comfce Alfred de (1799-1868). He was first a 
member of the Garde du Corps of Louis XVIII. ; then Chef d'Bscadron 
and colonel after the siege of Antwerp. He became General of Brigade 
and aide-de-camp to the King in 1840. He left the service in 1848, 
and followed the royal family into exile. 

CHABANNES, Louisa de (1791-1869). A Carmelite nun: she became 
Superior of the Paris Convent, and after some years became Superior 
of that at Brussels, where she died. 

CHALAIS, Princesse de, Marie Frangoise de Rochechouart-Mortemart. 
Married, first, the Marquis de Cany, by whom she had a daughter, who 
became the grandmother of the Prince de Talleyrand. She married 
secondly Louis Charles de Talleyrand, Prince de Chalais, who died in 
1757. She was lady-in-waiting to the Queen. 

CHALAIS, Princesse de. Died 1834. ;^lolie Pauline Beauvilliers de Saint- 
Aignan married in 1832 Helie-Royer de Talleyrand-Perigord, Prince de 
Chalais, a title borne by the eldest son of the head of this House. 

CHANTELAUZE, Victor de (1787-1859). A Deputy ; Charles X.'s last 
Garde des Sceaux. He drafted the famous decrees which caused the 
Revolution of July. He was arrested and sentenced to imprisonment 
for life. The Amnesty of 1837 set him at liberty. 

CHARLEMAGNE (742-814). King of the Franks and head of the Caro- 
lingian dynasty. He succeeded his father Pepin the Short in 768. In 
800 Pope Leo III. crowned him Emperor of the West. 

CHARLES I., King of England (1600-1649). Son of James I. : he married 
Henrietta of France, daughter of Henri IV. and sister of Louis XIII. 
He died on the scaffold. 

CHARLES IX., King of France (1550-1574). Second son of Henri II. and 
Catherine dei Medici. In his reign the kingdom was distracted by 
religious wars. 

CHARLES X., King of France (1757-1836). Brother of Louis XVL and 
Louis XVIII., whom he succeeded in 1824. He bore the title of 
Comte d'Artois until his accession. He died in exile at Goritz. 

CHARLES JOHN, King of Sweden (1764-1844). General Bernadotte, 
Prince de Ponte Corvo, Marshal of France. He married Mile. Clary, 
sister of Joseph Bonaparte's wife. After the death of Charles XIII. 
of Sweden, by whom he had been adopted, he became in 1818 King of 
Sweden and Norway, 

CHARLOTTE, Princess of Prussia (1798-1860). Daughter of King 
Frederick William III. Married in 1817 the Grand Duke Nicolas of 
Russia, who succeeded his brother Alexander I. on the throne. 

CHATEAUBRIAND, Francois Rene, Vicomte de (1768-1848). One of the 
most illustrious of the French authors of the nineteenth century. He 
was intimate with many women celebrated for their talent, their grace, 
OV theif beauty, Under the Restoration he was for some years in the 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 305 

diplomatic service, and as Minister of Foreign Affairs had much to do 
with the Spanish war of 1822. 

CHATILLON-MONTMORENCY, Due de, husband of Mile. Lannois. He 
perished in the wreck of the frigate Blanche at the mouth of the 
Elbe. 

CHODRON, Jules (1804-1870). Son of M. de Talleyrand's notary. M. de 
Talleyrand obtained for him the grant of the name Courcel from 
King Louis-Philippe. He entered the diplomatic service, in which he 
attained an honourable and distinguished position. His son was for 
several years Ambassador at Berlin and London. 

CHOLSEUL-STAINVILLE, Etienne Frangois, Due de (1719-1785). A 
French statesman, Ambassador, and afterwards Minister from 1758 
to 1770 under Louis XV. He was responsible for the conclusion of 
the Family Compact. He was overthrown by a Court intrigue because 
he would not give way to Madame Dubarry. Banished to his estate 
of Chanteloup, he received there, in spite of the King, many tokens of 
public esteem. He married Mile. Crozat du Chatel, who paid 
the debts which her husband's generosity had led him to contract, 
and passed the last years of her life, after becoming a widow, in a 
poor convent at Paris. 

CLANRICARDE, Marquess of (1802-1874). An English politician. 
Married in 1825 the daughter of George Canning, and was in the 
following year summoned to the House of Lords. He was Under 
Secretary for Foreign Affairs in 1826, Ambassador to Russia from 
1838 to 1841, Postmaster-General from 1846 to 1852, and Lord Privy 
Seal in 1857. 

CLANRICARDE, Lady. Died 1876. Henrietta, only daughter of George 
Canning ; wife of Lord Clanricarde, 

CLARENCE, Duchess of (1792-1849). See Adelaide, Queen. 

CLARENDON, Edward Hyde, Earl of (1608-1674). An English Minister 
and historian. In the Civil War, under Charles I., he took the Royalist 
side. Charles II. made him Lord Chancellor. He retired to France, 
and died at Rouen. 

CLARENDON, Earl of (1800-1870). British Minister at Madrid in 1833. 
Afterwards President of the Board of Trade and Lord Lieutenant of 
Ireland. In 1853 he became Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, 
represented England at the Congress of Paris in 1856, and was after- 
wards Ambassador to Italy in 1868. 

COBBETT, William (1766-1835). An English demagogue. He spent 
several years in the United States, and on his return to England in 
1804 he edited a Radical journal, which was often prosecuted. In 
1832 he was elected to the House of Commons, where he was a warm 
supporter of Parliamentary Reform. 

COBURG, Prince Ferdinand of (1816-1888). He was the second husband 
of Queen Dofla Maria da Gloria, whom he married in 1836. He 

U 



306 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

received the title of King in 1837, His wife died in 1853, and he 
became Regent during his son's minority. In 1869 he contracted a 
morganatic marriage with Mile. Hensler, who was made Countess 
Elice d'Edla. He was the brother of King Leopold of Belgium and of 
the Duchess of Kent. 

COLNAGHI, a London print and picture dealer. The origin of this firm 
goes back to 1750 when Paul Colnaghi, an Italian who came from Paris, 
opened a shop in partnership with a M, Nolteno. King George IV. 
was a constant patron. 

CONEOY, Sir John (1786-1854). An English officer, Gentleman in Waiting 
to the Duchess of Kent, On her accession Queen Victoria made him a 
baronet. He married in 1808 the daughter and heiress of Major Fisher, 
brother of the Bishop of Salisbury. 

CONYNGHAM, William, Lord (1765-1854). An Irish barrister and 
member of the House of Commons. He belonged to the Liberal group 
of which Burke was a member. Towards the end of his life he leaned 
towards the Tories, He was raised to the Peerage. 

CONYNGHAM, Henry, Lord (1766-1832), married the eldest daughter of 
Joseph Denison. 

CONYNGHAM, Lady, died 1861. Elizabeth, daughter of J. Denison, a 
London banker, married in 1794 Henry, Baron Conyngham, who was 
made a Marquis in 1816. She was intimate with the Prince Regent and 
turned her influence over him to good account. 

CONYNGHAM. Francis Nathaniel, Marquis of (1797-1882). During his 
father's lifetime he bore the name of Mount Charles. He distinguished 
himself in public life by his liberal ideas, was Under Secretary of State 
for Foreign Affairs, a Lord of the Treasury, and Postmaster General in 
1834, a Privy Councillor in 1835, and Vice-Admiral of Ulster in 1849. 

CORINNA, A Grecian poetess of the fifth century, B.C. 

COUSIN, Victor (1792-1867). A French philosopher and author, a Peer of 
France, director of the Ecole Normale and a member of the Acad^mie 
frangaise. For a very short time he was Minister of Public Instruction 
under M. Thiers in 1840. 

COWLEY, Lady (1796-1860). Georgiana Augusta, eldest daughter of the 
Marquis of Salisbury, married in 1816 the Hon. Henry Wellesley, who 
in 1828 was created Baron Cowley, 

COWPER, Lady, Sister of W, Lamb, Lord Melbourne, She married Lord 
Palmerston (secondly) in 1840, being then fifty years of age. 

CEANMER, Thomas (1489-1556) Archbishop of Canterbury, a promoter of 
the Reformation in England, He pronounced, himself, the divorce 
against Catherine of Aragon, which the Pope had refused to 
Henry VIII. On the Accession of Queen Mary Tudor he was arrested 
as a heretic and burned at the stake. 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 307 

CROMWELL, Oliver (1599-1658), Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of 
England in 1653. He brought about the ruin of the Royalist Cause, 
and the misfortunes of Charles I., for whose condemnation he was 
responsible. 

CUMBERLAND, Ernest Augustus, Duke of (1771-1851). The last of the 
sons of George III. In 1837 he mounted the throne of Hanover. 

CUMBERLAND, Duchess of (1778-1841), Frederica, Princess of Mecklen- 
burg-Strelitz. Younger sister of Queen Louise of Prussia. She 
married in 1793 Prince Louis of Prussia, brother of Frederick 
William III. On his death she married secondly Prince Frederick 
William of Solms-Braunfels, and finally, thirdly, the Duke of 
Cumberland who was called to the Throne of Hanover in 1837. She 
was the mother of King George V. of Hanover. 

CUVIER, Georges (1769-1838). A celebrated naturalist, member of the 
Academie fran^aise. Councillor of State in 1814, and Peer of France 
in 1831. 

CZARTORYSKI, Prince Adam (1770-1860). Son of Adam Casimi 
Czartoryski, who on the death of Augustus III. King of Poland was 
proposed as a candidate for the Throne, but was set aside in favour of 
Stanislas Poniatowski at the instance of Catherine II. After the 
partition of Poland, he was sent as a hostage to St. Petersburg 
where he enjoyed high favour with the Czar Alexander I., became 
Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1801 to 1805, and in 1815 became 
Senator Palatine of Poland and Curator of the University of Vilna. He 
retired from public life in 1821, and after 1830 established himself at 
Paris. In 1817 he married the Princess Anna Sapieha. 



D 

DACRE, Thomas Brand, Lord (1774-1851), married in 1819, Barbara, 
daughter of Sir C. Ogle. 

DALBERG, Due de (1773-1833). Son of the Primate and Arch-Chancellor 
of the same name, member of the Conseil provisoire at Paris after the 
fall of Napoleon, and plenipotentiary at the Congress of Vienna. 

DAUPHIN DE FRANCE, Louis, son of Louis XV. (1729-1765), married 
first the Infanta Maria of Spain, who died soon afterwards. He had 
several children by his second marriage with Princess Josepha, daughter 
of the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland. He never came to the 
Throne, but was father of Louis XVI., Louis XVIII., and Charles X. 
He was a model of all the virtues and lived a saintly life. 

DAURE, M. A teacher at the College Henri IV. in Paris, who wrote for 
the Constitutionnel. 

DAVOUT, Napoleon Louis (1810-1853). Son of the Marshal. He was on 
Marshal Gerard's Staff at the siege of Antwerp. He entered the House 
of Peers in 1836 and bore the title of Prince d'Eckmiihl. 



308 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

DAWSON DAMER, George Lionel, born in 1788. A colonel in the British 
Army. He married the niece and adopted daughter of Mrs. Fitz- 
herbert, who died in 1848. 

DECAZES, Elie, Due (1780-1846). He was at first a lawyer and was then 
attached to the service of King Louis of Holland. Louis XVIII. 
afterwards made him a Minister and a Peer of France. In 1820 he had 
to quit the Ministry as the more fanatical Royalists did not scruple to 
blame him for the assassination of the Due de Berry. He was created 
a Duke and sent as Ambassador to England. After 1830 he rallied to 
Louis-Philippe, and was made Grand Referendaire de la Cour des 
Pairs. 

DECAZES, Duchesse, daughter of the Comte de Saint-Helaire by his 
marriage with Mile, de Soycourt, and grand-daughter on her mother's 
side of the last Prince of Nassau-Sarbriick, and grand-niece of the 
Duchess of Brunswick-Beovern, who obtained from Frederick VI. 
of Denmark the transmission of the Duchy of Glucksburg in favour of 
the Due and Duchesse Decazes on their marriage in 1 818. She was the 
second wife of the Due Decazes. 

DEDEL, Solomon (1775-1846). A Danish diplomatist. He was Ambassador 
to Sweden, Spain and England, and died at London. 

DEMION, M. Agent for the Montmorency family, for the Prince de 
Talleyrand, and for the James Rothschilds. For several years he 
administered the estates of Valengay, 

DENISON, Albert (1805-1860). Second son of the Marquis of Conyngham. 
Through his mother he inherited a large fortune from his uncle, 
Denison, and took his name. He was raised to the Peerage as Lord 
Londesborough in 1850 . 

DESAGES, Emile (1793-1850). Son of a high official in the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs, he entered that office at the age of sixteen. In 1820 
he was appointed Secretary of Embassy at Constantinople. In 1830 
General Sebastiani then Minister of Foreign Affairs, made him head of 
the Political Branch of the Department. He retired after 1848 to 
Menesele in the Charente. 

DEVONSHIRE, William, Duke of (1760-1835). He belonged to the 
Courtenay family. The title being extinct in the elder branch, the 
Duke succeeded in regaining it, after having proved before the House 
of Lords in 1831 that by Letters Patent of 1553 Queen Mary had laid 
down that the title, in default of direct heirs, should pass to collateral 
branches. 

DEVONSHIRE, Marchioness of. Died 1806, daughter of Lord Spencer, 
married in 1774 the Marquis of Devonshire. 

DIANE DE POITIERS (1499-1586). Eldest daughter of Jean de Poitiers 
Seigneur de Saint-Vallier. Diane married Louis de Breze, when she 
was thirteen. She was the favourite of Henri II., who made her 
Duchesse de Valentinois and gave her the Chateau d'Anet, one of the 
finest pieces of architecture of this period. 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 309 

DIDOT, Firmin (1764-1836). He distinguished himself early in life, by 
the advances in the art of printing which were due to him. His 
father and elder brother had already similarly distinguished themselves. 
He was elected Deputy in 1827. Decorated with the Legion of 
Honour, he was appointed by King Louis Philippe, Printer to the King 
and to the Institut de France. 

DINO, Duchesse de (1793-1862). The title borne by the Comtesse Ed- 
mond de Perigord from 1815 onwards. It had been granted by the 
King of Naples to the Prince de Talleyrand, who had so successfully 
defended his interests at the Congress of Vienna, and M. de Talley- 
rand bestowed it as a compliment on his niece. 

DOLOMIEU, Marquise de (1779-1849). Lady-in-waiting to Queen Maria 
Amelia, to whom she was most devoted. Madame de Dolomieu was 
the sister of Madame de Montjoye, Mme. Adelaide's lady-in-waiting. 

DOM MIGUEL (1802-1866). He was Regent of the Kingdom of Portugal 
during the minority of his niece Queen Dona Maria da Gloria. He 
seized the opportunity to possess himself of the Throne, and had 
himself proclaimed king in 1828. Dom Pedro I. then returned from 
Brazil, and after a sharp struggle he succeeded in re-conquering the 
crown for his daughter, and in forcing Dom Miguel to leave Portugal. 

DON ANTONIO, the Infante (1755-1817). One of the Spanish princes 
confined at Valengay by Napoleon I. On his return from captivity 
he was made Grand Admiral of Castille. 

DON CARLOS DE BOURBON (1788-1865). Second son of Charles IV. 
and brother of Ferdinand VII., King of Spain. He was detained 
with his brother at Valengay. At the close of his reign in 1833 
Ferdinand abolished the Spanish law of succession and left his crown 
to his daughter Isabella. Don Carlos protested, was banished, re- 
turned to Spain in 1834 and began a civil war. Conquered in 1839 he 
took refuge first in France, and then in 1847 at Trieste, where he died. 

DON FRANCESCO (1794-1865). Infante of Spain, married in 1819 the 
Princess Carlotta, daughter of the King of the Two Sicilies and 
sister of Queen Christina. 

DONNADIEU, Gabriel (1777-1849). A French general. He embraced 
with ardour the principles of the Revolution, enrolled himself in 
Moreau's Corps d'Armee and remained in it for a long time. Sus- 
pected of conspiracy under the Consulate and the Empire he passed 
through several vicissitudes of favour and disgrace. He rallied to 
Louis XVIII. who made him a Lieutenant-General. 

DORSET, Duke of (1795-1815). He died, childless, as the result of a fall 
from his horse. He was the brother of Lady Plymouth. The title of 
Earl of Dorset was given to the Sackville family by Queen Elizabeth. 

DORSET, Charles, Viscount Sackville, Duke of (1767-1843). Uncle of the 
foregoing and heir to his title. He never married. He was a very 
intimate friend of King William IV. of England. 



310 DUG HESSE DE DINO 

DOSNE, Mme. Mile. Sophie Eurydice Matheron married M. Dosne, an 
Agent de Change, in 1816. She was born in 1788. Her parents kept 
a wholesale drapery establishment in the Faubourg Montmartre. 

DOUGLAS, Marquis of (1811-1863). Afterwards Duke of Hamilton. In 
1843 he married Princess Maria of Baden. He died at Paris as the 
result of an accident. 

DEOUET D'ERLON (1765-1844). Marshal of France. He joined the 
army under the Republic and took part in the Campaigns of the 
Empire. He was one of the first to recognise Napoleon on his return 
from Elba, and commanded the fi.rst Corps d'Armee during the 
Hundred Days. He fought at Waterloo, and was condemned in his 
absence. He found an asylum in Prussia, and did not resume his 
service in France until 1830. In 1834 he was made Governor of 
Algeria. 

DUCHATEL, Charles Tanneguy, Comte (1803-1867). A French politician. 
He was successively Councillor of State, Deputy, and Minister. He 
was a member of the Academic des Sciences morales et politiques. 

DUNCANNON, John William (1781-1847). Married in 1805 Mary, 
daughter of Lord Westmorland. He held advanced Liberal views, 
and was in 1834 Member of Lord Melbourne's Ministry as Home 
Secretary. He was raised to the Peerage as Lord Bessborough. 

DUPERRE, Admiral (1775-1846). Distinguished himself early in action 
with the English and was made Rear-Admiral and a Baron in 1811. 
In 1830 he commanded the fleet which conveyed the French Army to 
Algeria, and was promoted Admiral and made a Peer of France. 
He was several times Minister of Marine. 

DUPIN, Andre Marie (1783-1865). Called Dupin the elder. A French 
jurisconsult, magistrate, and deputy. He took an active part in the 
election of Louis-Philippe as King of the French. From 1832 till 1840 
he was President of the Chamber of Deputies. Under the Second 
Empire he was made a Senator. 

DUPIN, Pierre Charles Fran9ois, Baron (1784-1873). The last of the 
three Dupins. A French statistician, a member of the Institut and 
of the House of Peers, he showed himself equally devoted to the 
Orleans Dynasty and to the Charte of 1830. 

DURHAM, John Lambton, Earl of (1792-1840). Son-in-law of Lord Grey. 
He entered Parliament, where he sat among the advanced Whigs. In 
collaboration with Lord John Russell he drafted the Great Reform 
Bill of 1831. He was afterwards Ambassador to Russia and Governor- 
General of Canada. 

DURHAM, Lady (1816-1841). Louisa Elizabeth, daughter of Lord Grey, 
and second wife of the Earl of Durham. 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 311 

E 

EASTNOR, Lord (1788-1873). He married in 1815 the daughter of Lord 

Hardwicke. 
EASTNOE, Lady (died 1873). Daughter of Lord Hardwicke and sister of 

Lady Stuart of Rothesay. 

EBRINGTON, Hugh, Lord, Earl Fortescue (1783-1861). Entered the 
House of Commons early in life. In 1839 he was made a Privy 
Councillor and Viceroy of Ireland. He retired in 1850. He was a 
consistent Whig. 

ELIZABETH, Queen of England (1533-1603). Daughter of Henry VIII. 
and Anne Boleyn. She never married, and left the crown to James I., 
King of Scotland and son of Mary Stuart. 

ELLICE, The Hon. Edward (1787-1863). Son-in-law of Lord Grey. 
He was a Member of the House of Commons, and contributed much 
to the passage of the Reform Bill, He was Secretary to the Treasury 
and Secretary at War. He was a rich merchant and possessed vast 
estates in Canada. 

ENTRAIGUES, Amedee Goveau d'. Born in 1785. Prefect at Tours 
1830-1847. He married a Princess Santa-Croce, whose father had 
been concerned in the events of 1798, which resulted in taking Rome 
from the Pope and the proclamation of a Republic. This Prince had 
made his daughter a ward of Talleyrand, who brought her up and 
gave her a dowry. 

ENTRAIGUES, Jules d'. Born in 1787, he died at a very advanced age. 
He was the brother of the Prefect of Tours, and possessed in the 
neighbourhood of Valengay a charming chateau called La Moustiere. 

ESCLIGNAC, Duchesse d' (1801-1868). Georgine, daughter of the Baron 
Jacques de Talleyrand-Perigord, third brother of the Prince de Talley- 
rand and of Charlotte Louise de Puissigneux. 

ESTERHAZY, Paul Antoine, Prince (1786-1866), An Austrian diplomatist 
who was Ambassador at London during the Conferences of 1831, and 
a member of the Batthyany Ministry in Hungary. He was always a 
faithful friend of the Duchesse de Dino. 

ETIENNE, Charles Guillaume (1777-1845). A French journalist and 
dramatist. He became a deputy in 1832, voted with the Liberals, and 
in 1839 obtained a seat in the House of Peers. 

ETIENNE DE BLOIS, Stephen, King of England (1105-1154). His 
mother was a daughter of William the Conqueror. He married the 
heiress of the Counts of Boulogne. 

EXELMANS, Isidore, Count (1775-1852), One of the most brilliant 
generals of the First Empire. Exiled on the return of the Bourbons 
he returned to France only in 1823, Made a Peer of France by 
Louis Philippe, he became in 1849 Grand Chancellor of the Legion 



312 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

of Honour, and in 1851 a Marshal of France. He died as the result 
of a fall from his horse. 



FABRE, Francois Xavier (1766-1837). A French painter and a pupil of 
David. He was intimate at Florence with the Comtesse d' Albany, 
widow of the last of the Stuarts, and of Alfieri who was her second 
husband. 

FAGEL, General Robert. Born in Holland of Dutch parents. He fought 
against France in the Wars of the Republic. Under the Restoration 
he was appointed Netherlands Ambassador at the Tuileries. 

FALK, Anton Reinhard (1776-1843). A Dutch statesman. He was 
Secretary of Legation at Madrid and afterwards Minister of Foreign 
Affairs, of Public Instruction, of Commerce, and of the Colonies. In 
1824 he went as Ambassador to London, and after the separation of 
Belgium from Holland he became Ambassador at Brussels, where he 
died. 

FALK, Madame (1792-1851) (Rose, Baroness de Roisin). She was maid of 
honour to the Queen of the Netherlands and married M. Falk in 1817. 
After her husband's death she was appointed '^ grande mattresse " oi. 
the Princess of Orange, and resigned this position when the Princess 
ascended the throne. 

FARNBOROUGH, Lord (1761-1838). An intimate friend of Pitt. He was 
Postmaster-General. 

FERDINAND II., King of the Two Sicilies (1810-1859). He ascended the 
throne in 1830, and by his unpopularity brought about the fall of his 
dynasty. He was nicknamed " King Bomba." 

FERDINAND VII. , King of Spain (1784-1833). Eldest son of Charles IV. 
and Marie Louise of Parma. In 1808, the very year of his accession, 
he was imprisoned at Valen§ay, but reascended the throne in 1814. 

FERGUSSON, Robert Cutler (1768-1838). An English lawyer and 
magistrate. He spent twenty-five years at Calcutta where he made a 
large fortune, and in 1826 he returned to England where he became 
an ardent supporter of Liberal reforms. In 1830 he took up the cause 
of Poland. In 1831 he married Mile. Auger, a Frenchwoman by whom 
he had two children. 

FERRETTE, Etienne, Bailli de (1747-1881). In 1767 he was already 
Bailli of the Knights of Malta and their Ambassador at Paris, In 
1805, when the domains of the Order at Heitersheim were secularised 
and incorporated in the Grand Duchy of Baden, the Baron de Ferrette 
was indemnified by a pension of 60,000 livres for life and made 
Minister of Baden at the Court of Napoleon I., and thereafter at that 
of Louis XVIII. He resigned in 1830. He had many friends in Paris 
and was a friend of the Prince de Tallevrand, 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 313 

FERRERS, Lady. Married in 1844 Earl Ferrers (1822-1859). She was 
called Arabella, and was a daughter of the Marquess of Donegal. 

FIESCHI, Joseph (1790-1835). Born at Murano, Corsica, he attempted 
the life of Louis Philippe at Paris during a review on July 28, 1835, 
by means of an infernal machine which he prepared in a house about 
the middle of the Boulevard du Temple. The King and the Princes 
escaped, but twenty -two people were wounded and eighteen killed, 
among whom was Marshal Mortier, Due de Trevise, Minister of War. 
Fieschi was condemned to death with his two accomplices Pepin and 
Morey. 

FITZCLARENOE, Lord Adolphus (1802-1856). Third illegitimate son of 
King William IV. of England and the actress Mrs. Jordan. He 
was a Rear-Admiral and naval aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria. 

FITZPATRICK, Richard (1747-1813). He was a British general and dis- 
tinguished himself in the American War. He entered Parliament in 
1770, was Secretary to the Duke of Portland, Lord Lieutenant of 
Ireland, and in 1783 Secretary at War ; he was an attached friend of 
Fox. 

FITZPATRICK, M. Born in 1809, he married in 1830 the daughter of 
Augustus Douglas. He was a Captain in the British Army and a 
Member of Parliament. 

FITZROY SOMERSET, Lord (1788-1855). Afterwards Lord Raglan. 
Younger son of the Earl of Beaufort and aide-de-camp of the Duke 
of Wellington, by whose side he lost his right arm at Waterloo. 
He died of cholera under Sebastopol where he was Commander-in-Chief 
of the British Army. 

FITZROY SOMERSET, Lady. Died 1881. She was a daughter of Lord 
Wellesley and a niece of the Duke of WelliDgton, the chief and friend 
of Lord Fitzroy Somerset, whom she married in 1814. 

FLAHAUT, General Comte de (1785-1870). Aide-de-camp of Napoleon I., 
he became a Peer of France under Louis Philippe and under Napo- 
leon III. Senator and Ambassador. His family was poor, and the 
Prince de Talleyrand had contributed to the cost of his education. 

FLAHAUT, Comtesse de. Died 1867. She was a daughter of Lord 
Keith and Nairn, an English Admiral. 

FOUCHE, Joseph, Due d'Otrante (1763-1820). Chief of Police under the 
Empire. An able but unscrupulous man without convictions. 

FOUGIERES, Mile. de. She married the Marquis Christian de Nicolay. 
Her son Antoine married Mile, de Vogiie and her daughter Aymardine 
married Paul de Larges. 

FOX, Charles James (1748-1806). One of the greatest of English orators 
He entered Parliament, joined the Opposition, and soon became 
tl^e leader of the Whigs. He was a defender of tolerance ajid 



314 DUC HESSE DE DTNO 

liberty and was favourable to the French Kevolntion, never ceasing 
to advise peace with Franco. 

FRANCOIS I., King of France (140-1-1547). Son of Charles d'Orleans, 
Comte d'Angoiilome, and of Louise de Savoie, he succeeded in 1515 
King Louis XII., whose daughter he had married. 

FREDERICK THE GREAT, King of Prussia (1712-1786). Illustrious in 
war, he laid the foundations of Trussia's military power. He was 
an amateur of letters and prided himself on his philosophic attain- 
ments. He attracted Voltaire to his Court and kept up corre- 
spondence with the Encyclopedistes. 

FRIAS, Due de (17S3-1851). Don Bernardino Fernandez Vilano, Comte 
deHaro, Due de Frias, Duo de Meda, Marquis de Villena. From 1796 
he served in the Quardia Volona and became a Captain. He married 
Doila Marianna de Silva, daughter of the Marquis de Santa Cruz. The 
Due de Frias was Spanish Ambassador at London and afterwards 
became President of the Upper Chamber established by the Consti- 
tution granted by Queen Maria Christina in 1831, and called £1 Esta- 
tuto Heed. He was a man of letters and has left some poems behind 
him. 

FULCHIRON, Jean Claude (1774-1859). A French Statesman and man 
of letters. A pupil of the Ecole Polytechnique, he served in the 
Artillery. In 1831 he was elected a deputy, and for fifteen yeai-s 
was the constant advocate of a Conservative policy. He was made 
a Peer of France in 1S45, and in 1848 he retired into private life. 

G 

GAETE, Martin Charles Gaudin, Duo de (1756-1S41). Minister of Finance 
under Napoleon I., who made him a Duke. He was Deputy under the 
Restoration, and in 1820 was made Governor of the Bank of France. 

GARCIA, Manuel (1775-1832). A Spanish composer and musical artist. 
He was the father of Mme. Malibran and Mme. Viardot. 

GARROUBE, Jean Alexandre A'alleton de (1790-1850). He adopted the 
profession of arms and distinguished himself at first by his zeal in the 
legitimist cause. His devotion to the Duchesse d'Angouleme won him 
the nickname of Chcralier du Brassard, and Royal favours which 
continued unabated for fifteen years. In 1830 he rallied to Louis 
Phillippe. In 1831 he was colonel and deputy. In geneiiil he re- 
mained faithful to the doctrinaire party, and in 1852 was placed 
on the retired list with the rank of General of Brigade. 

GASTON D'ORLEANS (1608-1660). Third son of Henri IV. and brother 
of Louis XIII. He bore the title of Duo d'Anjon till 1624 when 
the Duchy of Orleans was conferred upon him as an appanage. 
He played a sorry part in the Fronde, passing repeatedly from one 
side to another. He was for the rest a wit and a cultivator of 
literature and science. He left an only daughter, the celebrated 
Mademoiselle, Duchesse de Montpensier, 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 315 

GAUTARD, M. de, died 1837. He possessed the Chateau Grenier near 
Bex. He was highly respected, and his death, which was due to 
an accident, was much regretted. The accident was caused by the 
explosion of some spirits of wine, the manufacture of which he was 
supervising. 

GEORGE III., King of England (1738-1820). He ascended the throne 
in 1760 succeeding his grandfather George II. He extended the 
English conquests in India and finally united Ireland to Great 
Britain. His reign was marked by the loss of the American 
Colonies. He fought against the French Revolution with all his 
strength, and for ten years before his death he was out of his mind. 

GEORGE IV., King of England (1762-1830). A dissipated youth, enor- 
mous debts, and his marriage with Mrs. Fitssherbert, a Catholic, 
alienated from him the respect of the country. In 1795 he married 
Caroline of Brunswick against whom he afterwards instituted scan- 
dalous proceedings. In 1811 he was made Regent by Parliament 
owing to his father's insanity, and he succeeded to the throne in 
1820. It was to him that Napoleon wrote his letter requesting the 
hospitality of England after his second abdication. 

GEORGE v., King of Hanover (1819-1878). He succeeded his father, 
King Ernest Augustus, in 1851, in spite of his blindness. In 1866 
he lost his kingdom, which was absorbed in Prussia, after having 
absolutely refused to come to any understanding with that country. 

GERARD, Etienne Maurice, Comte (1773-1852). He adopted the military 
career, and took part in all the campaigns under the Republic and 
the Empire. At the Restoration he retired, but in 1830 he became 
Minister of War, and in 1831 was made a Marshal. He commanded 
the Belgian Expedition, took the Citadel of Antwerp, and was made a 
Peer in 1832. 

GESSLER, Hermann. Governed the Cantons of Schwytz and Uri for 
Albert I. , Archduke of Austria. His cruelty caused an insurrection 
in the country in 1307, and, according to tradition, be perished by the 
hand of William Tell. 

GILLES, Le Grand. A figure of farcical comedy, deriving his name from 
a celebrated actor of the seventeenth century. 

GIRARDON, Frangois (1630-1715). A sculptor, whose patron was the 
Chancellor Seguier, who sent him to study at Rome. He produced 
several pieces which are much admired. 

GIROLET, Jean Baptiste Simon, Abb6 (1765-1836), A Benedictine priest 
of the congregation of Saint Maur, who was forced to emigrate at the 
Revolution. He found a place as tutor in Poland, where he became 
known to the Princess Tyszkiewicz. She recommended him to the 
Prince de Talleyrand, who procured his appointment as Almoner to 
the House of Peers. He was a great friend of the Talleyrand family, 
and towards the end of his life established himself at Rochecotte, 
where he founded a school which bears his name. 



316 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

GLOUCESTER, Frederick, Duke of (1776-183-1). Sou of William Henry, 
Duke of Gloucester, who died in 1805. He married, in 1816, the 
fourth daughter of King George III., and was on that occasion raised 
to the rank of Prince of the Blood. 

GLOUCESTER, Duchess of (1776-1857). Mary, daughter of George III. 
and Princess Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. 

GONTAUT-BIRON, Dachesse de (1773-1S58). Nee Montanlt-Navailles, 
Governess of the children of France, whom she followed into exile. 
Charles X. made her a Duchess in 1827. 

GRAFTON, Henry Fitzroy, Duke of (1790-18C3). Entered the House of 
Commons in 1826 as a Liberal and a promoter of Parliamentary 
Reform. On his father's death he went to the House of Lords, where 
he preserved his Liberal views and was a faithful supporter of the 
policy of Lord John Russell. He married a daughter of Admiral 
Berkeley. 

GRAHAM, Sir James (1792-1861). He became Duke of Montrose on his 
father's death in 1836, and sat in the House of Lords as a Conservative. 
In 1837 he became Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, in 1852 
Comptroller of the Household. He was also a Lord-Lieutenant and 
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. 

GRANT, Charles, afterwards Lord Glenelg. He was born in 1780, and 
was a member of the House of Commons. From 1817 till 1822 he was 
Chief Secretary for Ireland. In 1830 he was a member of Lord Grey's 
Ministry, and in 1835 of that of Lord Melbourne. 

GRANVILLE, Lord (1775-1846). Younger son of the Marquis of Stafford, 
He represented England at Paris for many years, and made many 
powerful friends there. His wife was a daughter of the beautiful 
Duchess of Devonshire. 

GRANVILLE, Lady. Henrietta Elizabeth Cavendish, daughter of the 
Duke of Devonshire, married Lord Granville in 1809, and died in 
1862. 

GREFFULHE, Madame (1766-1850). Pauline de Randan Pully, married 
in 1793 M. Louis Greffulhe, by whom she had a daughter, who became 
Comtesse de Castellane. Her first husband having died in 1821, 
Madame Greffulhe married again Comte d'Aubusson la Feuillade, a 
Peer of France and formerly an Ambassador, who died in 184S. 

GRENVILLE, William Wyndham, Lord (1759-1834). A relative of Pitt 
and a member of his party. He played some part in politics. 

GREVILLE, Henry. He held a post at the Viceregal Court at Dublin 
under Lord Clarendon. Afterwards he held a position at the Foreign 
OflBce, and was the Duke of Wellington's private secretary. 

GREY, Charles Grey, Viscount Howick, Earl (1764-1845). A member of the 
Liberal Party, Lord Grey was a Minister with Fox, and played a great 
part in the case of Queen Caroline, and also in the affairs of Belgium 
in 1830. It is to him that England owes parliamentary Reform. 



A 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 317 

GKEY, Lady (1775-1861). Daughter of William Ponsonby and of Louise, 
daughter of Viscount Molesworth. She married Lord Grey in 1794. 

GREY, Lady Elizabeth and Lady Georgiana. Daughters of Lord Grey 
who died unmarried, 

GRISI, Giulia (1812-1869). A celebrated singer, daughter of an Italian 
officer in the French service and niece of Madame Grassini. She was 
born at Milan, entered the Conservatoire at an early age, and became 
an artist famous over all Europe and America. In 1836 she married 
Comte Gerard de Melcy at Paris, but this union was soon afterwards 
broken as the result of a duel between M. de Melcy and Lord Castle- 
reagh, son of the celebrated statesman. She afterwards married 
again, her second husband being her colleague Mario, Comte de 
Candia. 

GROSVENOR, Lady. Born in 1797. Elizabeth, younger daughter of the 
Duke of Sutherland. She married the Duke of Westminster in 1819. 

GUISE, Henri de Lorraine, Due de, surnamed Ze Balafrd (1550-1588), 
Eldest son of Frangois de Guise, head of the League. He was assassi- 
nated at the Castle of Blois by order of Henri III. He had directed 
the massacre of S. Bartholomew. 

GUIZOT, Fran9ois Pierre Guillaume (1787-1874). A French statesman 
and author. He was Minister under Louis Philippe, Ambassador to 
London and member of the Academie fran^aise. 

GUIZOT, Madame (1803-1833). Eliza Dillon, the second wife of M. Guizot, 
whom he married in 1828, after the death of his first wife, Pauline 
de Meulan. 



H 

HANDEL, George Frederick (1685-1759). A German composer, born at 
Halle, in Saxony. He died blind in London. 

HALFORD, Sir Henry (1766-1844). Chief physician to King George III. 
He had a great reputation. 

HARDWICKE, Lady (1763-1858). Elizabeth, daughter of the Earl of 
Balcarres. She married, in 1782, Charles Philip Yorke, who, on the 
death of his uncle, Lord Hardwicke, took his name and title. He was 
an Admiral and a member of Lord Derby's Ministry in 1852. 

HAREWOOD, Henry, Lord (1797-1857). Married Lady Louise Thynne, 
daughter of the Marquis of Bath. 

HARISPE, General (1768-1854). Distinguished himself in the campaigns 
of the Revolution and the Empire. Set aside by the Restoration, he 
was recalled in 1830, made a Peer and a Marshal of France in 1851. 

HAYDN (1732-1809). A German composer ; the author of symphonies 
and oratorios of great merit. 



318 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

HENRI III."of France (1551-1589). Third son of Henri II. He was at 
first styled Due d'Anjou ; was elected King of Poland, but abandoned 
that kingdom after a few months to succeed his brother, Charles IX. , 
as King of France. He was assassinated by Jacques Clement, and 
with him the Valois family became extinct. 

HENRI IV., King of France (1553-1610). Son of Antoine de Bourbon 
and of Jeanne d'Albret. He succeeded to the throne in 1589, and was 
assassinated by Ravaillac. 

HENRI V. The Legitimists ao styled the Due de Bordeaux. 

HENRY III. of England (1216-1272). Son of King John, whom he 
succeeded at the age of nine. 

HENRY VIII, of England (1491-1547). Succeeded his father, Henry VII., 
in 1509. Supported Charles V. against Francois I., and broke with 
the Catholic Church. 

HERTFORD, Lady. Died 1836. Married Seymour Conway, Marquis of 
Hertford^ She was a friend of George IV. 

HESSE-DARMSTADT, Louis II., Grand Duke of (1777-1848). Married, in 
1830, Princess Wilhelmina of Baden, who died in 1836. 

HESSE-DARMSTADT, Mathilde Caroline, Grand Duchess of (1813-1842). 
She was a daughter of King Louis of Bavaria, and married Louis III., 
Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt. 

HESSE-HOMBURG, Elizabeth Landgravine of (1770-1840). A daughter 
of King George III. of England, she married, in 1818, Frederick 
Joseph, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg, who died in 1829. 

HESSE-HOMBURG, Augusta Landgravine of. Born in 1778, she was the 
daughter of the Duke of Nassau-Usingen, and married in 1804 Louis, 
Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg. 

HEYTESBURY, William Lord (1779-1860). An English statesman, a 
Privy Councillor, and distinguished as a diplomatist. His last 
Embassy was St. Petersburg (1828-1833). From 1844 till 1846 he 
was Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. He married a daughter of Mr. W. 
Bouverie. 

HILL, Rowland, Lord (1773-1842). A British general who distinguished 
himself in the Peninsula and in 1815. In 1827 he became Governor 
of Plymouth, and the following year he was made Commander-in-Chief 
of the British Army. 

HOBHOUSE, Sir John Cam (1785-1869). An English author and politician. 
He was a contemporary of Lord Byron at Cambridge, and remained on 
the most intimate terms with him. They travelled together in the 
East and on the Continent, and Sir J. Hobhouse published in 1814 a 
volume entitled "Journey across Albania," which led to his election 
to the Royal Society. Being at Paris when Napoleon returned from 
Elba Sir J. Hobhouse pubUshed after Waterloo the " Letters of an 
Englishman during the Hundred Days," which made a sensation, as it 
attacked the Government and expressed Liberal ideas. Hobhouse 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 319 

entered the House of Commons in 1820, and thereafter occupied 
several administrative positions. He was raised to the Peerage as 
Baron Broughton Gyfford in 1851. 

HOHENTHAL, Countess von (1808-1845). Born Princess Louise of 

Biron-Courlande, sister of the Comtesse de LazareS and Madame de 

Boyen. 
HOLLAND, Lord (1772-1840). Nephew of Fox, he was, like his uncle, the 

champion of public liberty. With Lady Holland he contributed to 

ameliorating Napoleon's condition at St. Helena. 

HOLLAND, Lady, died 1840. By her first marriage she was Lady Webster. 
Lord Holland had known her at Florence, and married her after having 
previously had a liaison with her, and after she had been divorced from 
Sir Godfrey Webster. Lady Holland was very witty and Holland 
House was for a long time the rendezvous of the literary celebrities of 
the period. 

HOPE, Thomas (1774-1835). A rich connoisseur. He travelled a great 
deal and then settled in London, where he formed a magnificent collec- 
tion of pictures and sculpture. 

HOWE, Richard William Penn, Lord, Died 1870. Son of Lord Curzon. 
In 1831 he had a post at the Court of Queen Adelaide. 

HOWICK, Henry Grey, Viscount (1802-1894). Eldest son of Earl Grey and 
Under Secretary of State for the Colonies in his father's Ministry in 
1830. In 1845, on the death of his father, he entered the House of 
Lords. He held advanced Liberal opinions. 

HUGO, Madame Victor. Born in 1810, Her maiden name was Ad^le 
Foucher. She was the daughter of Paul Henry Foucher, a French 
politician and man of letters. 

HUMANN, Jean Georges (1780-1842). A French financier and statesman. 
He sat in the Chamber of Deputies from 1820, was one of the 221 
Signatories who brought about the Revolution of 1830, was Minister 
of Finance 1832-1836, and from 1840 till his death. 

HURE, M. A great friend of Fox. 

HUSS, John (1373-1415). A Bohemian theologian and heresiarch. Ex- 
communicated by Pope Alexander V. for having adopted the doctrines 
of Wyclif, he appealed to the Council of Trent and, having refused 
to retract, was burned at the stake. 

I 

INEZ DE CASTRO. Murdered in 1355, celebrated for her beauty and 
misfortunes. She was married to the Infante Pedro of Portugal. In 
the sixteenth century Ferreira wrote a tragedy about her. 

ISABELLA, Dona (1801-1876). Regent of Portugal 1826-1828. 
ISABELLA II. Queen of Spain (1830-1904). She succeeded her father 
King Frederick VII. in 1833 under the guardianship of her mother, 



320 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Queen Christina. Isabella II. married her cousin german Frangois 
d'Assise de Bourbon, who took the title of King. She abdicated in 
1870, in favour of her son Alphonso XII., after having quitted Spain in 
consequence of the Eevolution of 1868. 



JACOB, Louis Leon, Comte (1768-1854). A French sailor. He invented 
signalling by semaphore in 1805, and became Rear Admiral in 1812. 
He was made a Peer of France after 1830, and was for a short period 
Minister of Marine. 

JAMES I., King of England and Scotland (1566-1625). Son of Mary 
Stuart. He succeeded to the throne of Scotland at the age of one, in 
1567. In 1603 he ascended the throne of England on the death of 
Elizabeth. 

JAUCOURT, Marquise de (1762-1848). Mademoiselle Charlotte de 
Bontemps married the Marquis de Jaucourt, great nephew of the 
Chevalier de Jaucourt, editor of the Encycloptidie. 

JERNINGHAM, Miss, Eldest daughter of Lord Stafford, died 1838. 

JERSEY, Lady (1787-1867). Sarah, daughter of the Earl of Westmorland. 
Lord Jersey, her husband, filled several positions at Court and Lady 
Jersey was for long the leader of smart society in London, 

JOSEPHINE. The Empress (1763-1814). Josephine Tascher de la Pagerie 
was born in Martinique, and married in 1779 the Vicomte de Beau- 
harnais who died on the scaffold in 1794. In 1796 she married General 
Bonaparte and became Empress in 1804. In 1809, however, Napoleon 
divorced her and she died five yeara later at Malmaison, near Paris. 



K 

KENT, Duchess of (1786-1861). Daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg- 
Saalfeld, and mother of Queen Victoria. She married first the 
Prince of Leiningen and secondly the Duke of Kent, fourth son of 
George III. 

KOREFF, David Ferdinand (1783-1851). Son of a Jewish doctor, he was 
born at Breslau and studied at Halle, Berlin and Paris. He travelled 
in Italy with the de Custine family, and being at Vienna in 1814 he made 
the acquaintance of Hardenberg, Chancellor to the King of Prussia, 
whose service he then entered, having been baptized. In 1821 he 
went to Paris and subsequently spent some years in England. 

KUPER, The Rev. William. A German by birth and a Lutheran. He was 
for many years reader to Queen Adelaide. His son was Admiral 
Augustus Leopold Kiiper. 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 321 



LA BESNARDI^EE, Jean Baptisfce Goney de (1765-1843). In 1805 he 
followed the Grande Armie in company with the Prince de Talleyrand. 
During the last years of the Empire he represented the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs on the Conseil d'B^tat along with MM. d'Hauterive 
and Dalberg : in 1814 he accompanied the Prince de Talleyrand to 
Vienna and in 1819 he retired to Touraine. 

LABOUCH^RE, Henry (1798-1861). An Englishman whose family was 
of French origin. He was Member for Taunton from 1830. He was 
the second son of Peter Caesar Labouch^re, a partner in the Amsterdam 
firm of Hope & Co. , who married a daughter of Sir Francis Baring. 
He also married a Baring, his cousin german. In 1858 he was raised 
to the Peerage as Lord Taunton. 

LA BRUYllRE, Jean de (1645-1696). A French moralist. He was tutor 
to the grandson of the great Conde and the author of the Caract'eres. 

LACRETELLE, Jean Claude Dominique (1766-1855). Author of several 
works more distinguished by a certain skill in arrangement than by 
profundity of thought. 

LA FAYETTE, Gilbert Mortier, Marquis de (1757-1834). After having 
taken part in the American War in extreme youth he was elected 
Deputy to the States-General in 1788. Outlawed after June 20, 1792, 
he fled, but was arrested by the Austrians and remained for five years 
in prison at Olmiitz. In 1814 he was a Deputy, and voted for the 
deposition of the Emperor. Under the Restoration he remained 
attached to the Opposition. As Chief of the National Guard in 1830 
he contributed to the accession to power of Louis-Philippe. 

LAGRANGB-CHANCEL, Joseph de (1676-1758). A French author, who 
wrote some feeble tragedies and some bitter satires, entitled 
Philippiques. 

LAMB, Sir Frederick (1782-1852), An English diplomatist, brother of 
Lord Melbourne. He was Ambassador to Venice, to Munich, and to 
Spain, and in 1821 was raised to the Peerage as Lord Beauvale. In 
1848 he became Viscount Melbourne on his brother's death. 

LAMMENAIS, Hughes Felicite Robert, Abbe de (1782-18.54). Catholic 
writer, philosopher, reformer, journalist, and revolutionary. He 
broke with the Church, by which his works had been condemned. 

LANGWARD. A German improvisatore, of no particular celebrity. 

LANSDOWNE, Henry, Marquess of (1780-1863). An English statesman. 
He was a moderate Whig, and has left behind him a well-merited 
reputation for political uprightness and honesty. He entered Parlia- 
ment in 1802, showed much zeal for the abolition of slavery, and 
ardently defended the Irish Catholics. In 1830 he became a member 
of Lord Grey's Reform Cabinet as Lord President of the Council, 

X 



322 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

LANSDOWNE, Lady, died 1865. She was a daughter of Sir Henry Vane 
Tempest, and married the Marquess of Lansdowne in 1819. 

LAECHER, Mile. Henriette (1782-1860). She was a native of Geneva, 
and was the governess of Mile. Pauline de Perigord, afterwards 
Marquise de Oastellane. 

LA REDORTE, Joseph Charles Maurice. Comte de (1804-1886). A pupil 
of the ^cole Polytechnique, he became Lieutenant in 1826, and was 
made aide-de-camp to the Due d'Orleans in 1833. Elected Deputy 
for Carcassone in 1835, he left the army, was ambassador at Madrid 
for a few months in 1840, and entered the House of Peers in the 
following year. 

LA ROCHEFOUCAULD, Vicomtesse Sosthene de (1790-1834). She was 
the only daughter of Matthieu, Due de Montmorency. 

LA RONClliRE LE NOURY, ^rnile Clement de (1804-1874). Son of 
General de La Ronci^re. He entered the cavalry at the age of seven- 
teen, and was sent as Lieutenant to the ^^cole de Saumur in 1833. 
He was condemned to ten years' imprisonment for the offence men- 
tioned in the text, after which he retired into obscurity. He emerged 
under the Second Empire, and became successively Inspector of 
Colonisation in Algeria and Chef de Service at Chandernagore and the 
Islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. 

LATOUR-MAUBOURG, Marquis de (1781-1847). A French diplomatist. 
Under the First Empire he was Charge d' Affaires at Constantinople 
and Minister Plenipotentiary at Wiirtemberg. Under the Restoration 
he became successively Minister to Hanover and Saxony, Ambassador 
at Constantinople in 1823, at Naples in 1830, at Rome in 1831. In 
that year he was made a Peer of France. 

LAURENCE, Justin (1794-1863). Son of a jeweller of Mont de Marsan, 
he was the leading spirit of the Liberal opposition in his Department. 
He became in turn Conseiller de Prefecture des Landes, and Avocat 
General a la Cour Royale de Pau, and was elected Deputy in 1831. He 
was made Directeur General des Contributions in 1844, and his 
political career terminated with the Revolution of 1848. 

LAUZUN, Due de (1652-1733). He played a brilliant but adventurous 
part at the Court of Louis XIV. He married La Grande Mademoiselle, 
cousin german to the King. 

LAVAL, Adrien, Prince de (1768-1837). A Peer of France and Due de 
Fernando in Spain. He was French Ambassador at Rome, and 
married his cousin, Mile, de Montmorency-Luxembourg. 

LAVRADIO, Don Francisco de Almeida, Comte de (1796-1870). A Portu- 
guese, a Peer of the Realm and a Councillor of State. He was Minister 
in 1825 and 1846. In 1851 he was Minister at London and had just 
been transferred to Rome when he died. 

LAZAREFF, Count Lazare de (1792-1871). A Russian Colonel, who 
married the Princesse Antoinette de Biron-Courlande. 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 323 

LBGONIDEC, Joseph Julien (1763-1844). A French Magistrate. Avocat 
au Parlement de Paris, he went to America at the Eevolution and did 
not return till 1797. In 1815 the Eestoration Government made him 
Conseiller ^ la Cour de Cassation, in which he sat till his death as 
doyen of the Chambre Civile. 

LE HON, Comte Charles (1792-1868). Born at Tournay, in Belgium, he 
was a prominent member of the Opposition in that country before 
1830. He was thereafter for many years Belgian Minister at Paris, 
where he remained until 1852. 

LEHZEN, Mile. Louise, died 1870. Daughter of a Hanoverian Protestant 
pastor. She came to England in 1818 to be governess to the Princess 
Feodora of Leiningen, daughter of the Duchess of Kent by her first 
marriage. She discharged the same duties to the Princess Victoria, 
afterwards Queen of England. In 1827 George IV. made her a 
Baroness. She remained at the Court of England till 1849, when she 
returned to Germany. 

LEICESTER, Richard Dudley, Earl of (1531-1588). A great favourite 
of Queen Elizabeth. 

LENORMAND, Marie Anne (1772-1843). A celebrated fortune-teller. She 
was brought up by the Benedictines of Alen^on, where she began her 
career as a soothsayer, and came to Paris in 1800, where she predicted 
the future by means of cards, being consulted by the Empress 
Josephine and other distinguished personages. 

LfiON, Princesse de (died 1815). Her maiden name was Mile, de Seran. 
She died as the result of an accident, her dress having caught fire. 
Her husband three years later took Orders, and was made successively 
Bishop of Auchand Besan9on, receiving a cardinal's hat in 1830. After 
his father's death the Prince de Leon took the title of Due de Rohan, 

L^ON, Bishop of, Don Joachim, Albarca y Blanques (1781-1844). One 
of the councillors of the Pretender Don Carlos, whom he accompanied 
to London in 1831, and who afterwards made him his Minister of 
Justice. He had been made Bishop of Leon in 1825. 

LEOPOLD L, King of the Belgians (1790-1865). George Christian 
Frederick, Prince of Coburg-Gotha, was elected King of the Belgians 
in 1831. He married first, in 1816, Princess Charlotte of England, and 
secondly, Princess Louise d'Orleans, daughter of King Louis-Philippe. 

LESLIE, Charles Robert (1794-1839). An English painter of great 
excellence, famous for his portraits of the authors from whose 
works he derived most of the subjects of his pictures, Shakespeare, 
Cervantes, Moliere, Sterne, Walter Scott. 

LEUCHTENBERG, Prince Auguste Charles of (1807-1835). Married in 
1835 Dona Maria, Queen of Portugal, and died the same year. 

LEUCHTENBERG, Prince Max of (1817-1852), Son of Eugene de Beau- 
harnais. Married in 1839 the Grand Duchess Marie, daughter of 
the Czar Nicolas I. of Russia. 



824 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

LEZAY-MARNESIA, Albert, Comte de. He occupied several prefectures, 
among others that of Loir-et-Cher, where he was stationed in 1834. 

LICHTENSTEIN, Aloys Joseph, Prince de (1796-1858). An Austrian 
diplomatist attache at London, The Hague, and Dresden. He married 
a Countess Kinsky. 

LIEVEN, Christophe, Prince de (1770-1839). A Eussian General. He 
was Ambassador at Paris and London, and in 1834 was made Governor 
of the Heir to the throne of Russia, afterwards Alexander II. 

LIEVEN, Princesse de (1787-1857). Dorothea de Benckendorff. wife of 
the above. Celebrated for her wit and judgment, she made her house 
in London the rendezvous of the most distinguished men of the time, 
and passed the last years of her life at Paris, where she was much 
sought after by important political personages. 

LITTELTON, Edward John Walhouse (1791-1863). For many years a 
Member of the British Parliament. In 1834 he was made Chief 
Secretary for Ireland. He married, first, in 1812, a daughter of the 
Marquess Wellesley ; and, secondly, in 1858, the widow of Edward 
Davenport. 

LONDONDERRY, Charles William, Lord (1778-1854). An English soldier 
and diplomatist. He was Ambassador at Vienna, a general, and a 
lord-lieutenant. He married, first, a daughter of Lord Darnley ; and, 
secondly, in 1819, a daughter of Sir H. Vane Tempest, who died in 
1865. 

LOUIS, Baron (1755-1837). A French Minister of Finance. He had been 
a subordinate of the Prince de Talleyrand, and was a close friend of 
his. From 1815 he sat as Deputy in almost all the legislative assem- 
blies, where he distinguished himself by the moderation and sagacity 
of his views. 

LOUIS XL, King of France (1423-1483). Son of Charles VII. No prince 
of his time better understood the subtleties of politics and the art of 
managing men, 

LOUIS XIL, King of France (1462-1515). At first bore the title of 
Due d'Orleans. He succeeded to the throne of France on the death 
of Charles VIII. 

LOUIS XIII., King of France (1601-1643). Son of Henry IV. and Marie 
de' Medici, under whose Regency he at first reigned. He married 
Anne of Austria. 

LOUIS XIV., King of France (1638-1715). Son of Louis XIII. ; he suc- 
ceeded his father before he was five years old, under the Regency of 
his mother, Anne of Austria. He married the Infanta Maria Theresa, 
and (later) secretly Madame de Maintenon. 

LOUIS XV., King of France (1710-1774). Son of the Due de Bourgogne 
and of Princess Adelaide of Savoy. He succeeded his grandfather, 
Louis XIV., on the throne. 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 325 

LOUIS XVI., King of France (1754-1793). He perished on the scaffold 

as one of the first victims of the Revolution. 
LOUIS XVIII., King of France (1755-1824). At first styled Comte de 

Provence ; he married in 1771 Louise Marie Josephine of Savoy. His 

reign began in 1814. 

LOUIS-PHILIPPE I., King of the French (1773-1849). Son of Philippe- 
^galite, Due d' Orleans, he was proclaimed King after the Revolution 
of 1830 and the abdication of Charles X. He was obliged in his turn 
to abdicate by the Revolution of 1848. 

LOUISE, Queen of Prussia (1776-1810). Daughter of the Grand Duke of 
Mecklenburg-Strelitz and wife of King Frederick William III. of 
Prussia. She was mother of King Frederick William IV. and of 
William I., who in 1870 was proclaimed German Emperor. 

L0UL6, Marquise de (1806-1857). Anne, Infanta of Portugal, married 
in 1827 to Mendo9a, Marquis de Louie, a Minister of State. The 
Marquis was made a Duke, but his children never enjoyed any Royal 
privilege. 

LOUVOIS, Marquis de (1639-1691). A French statesman, Minister of War 
under Louis XIV. He was the son of the Chancellor le Tellier. 

LOUVOIS, Marquis de (1783-1844). Chamberlain of Napoleon I. Estab- 
lished foundries at Ancy-le-Franc, also a glass manufactory, a mill, 
and a saw-mill, which made the district very prosperous. Under the 
Restoration he became a Peer of France. 

LUDOLF, William Constantine, Count (1759-1839). Minister of the King 
of Naples at London for many years. His family was of Austrian 
origin. 

LYNDHURST, Lady. Sarah Grey, widow of Lieut. -Colonel Charles 
Thomas, who fell at Waterloo, married in 1819 Lord Lyndhurst, as his 
second wife. She was of Jewish extraction. 

M 

MAINTENON, Marquise de (1635-1719). Frangoise d'Aubigne, married in 
1652 the poet Scarron. Having lost her husband she was entrusted 
with the education of the children of Louis XIV. and Madame de 
Montespan. After the Queen's death Louis XIV. secretly married 
Madame de Maintenon. 

MAISON, Marshal (1771-1840). Distinguished himself in the wars of the 
Revolution and the Empire, and was made a Peer of France at the 
Restoration. In 1828 he commanded the expedition to the Morea, in 
which he achieved complete success. He was made a Marshal, and 
under Louis-Philippe became successively Minister for Foreign Affairs 
and of War, and Ambassador at Vienna and St. Petersburg. 

MALIBRAN, Madame Marie Felieite (1808-1836). A famous singer 
daughter of Manuel Garcia. She married first the banker Malibran, 
and secondly de Beriot the violinist. 



326 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

MARBOIS, Fran90is, Marquis de Barbe- (1745-1837). Before the Revo- 
lution he held several diplomatic appointments. At the Revolution he 
was deported to La Guyana, and did not return until after the 18th 
brumaire. The First Consul made him President of the Cour des 
Comptes, an office which he held till 1834. 

MAREUIL, Joseph Durand, Comte de (1769-1855). A French diploma- 
tist. At the Second Restoration he was made Conseiller d'Etat and 
employed on several missions. Madera Peer of France in 1833, and 
given the grand cordon of the Legion of Honour in 1834, he was sent 
to Naples as Ambassador and recalled eighteen months later. 
Thereafter he lived in retirement. 

MARIA, the Infanta (1793-1874). Daughter of John VI. of Portugal. She 
married first the Infante Dom Pedro, and secondly Don Carlos, Infante 
of Spain. 

MARIA IL, or MARIA DA GLORIA, Queen of Portugal (1819-1853). 
Daughter of Dom Pedro I. who, recognising the impossibility of retain- 
ing both the throne of Portugal and that of Brazil, abdicated the former 
in favour of Dona Maria, his second child, after having granted the 
Kingdom a liberal constitution. Dona Maria married first the Duke 
of Leuchtenberg, and secondly Prince Ferdinand of Coburg. 

MARIA AMELIA, Queen (1782-1866). Daughter of Ferdinand I., King of 
the Two Sicilies, married in 1809 the Due d'Orleans, who became 
Louis-Philippe I., King of the French. 

MARIA THERESA, the Empress (1717-1780). Daughter of the Emperor 
Charles VL, whom she succeeded on the Austrian throne. She had 
to struggle with Frederick II., King of Prussia, who deprived her of 
Silesia. She married Frangois de Lorraine. 

MARIE, Casimire d'Arquien (1630-1699). Queen of Poland. She accom- 
panied to Poland Queen Maria Gonzaga. She married first Zamoyski, 
and secondly King John Sobieski. Having become a widow she retired 
first to Rome, and then to Blois, where she died. 

MARIE DE' MEDICI, Queen of France (1573-1642). Daughter of the 
Grand Duke Francis I. of Tuscany, she married Henri IV., King of 
France, became the mother of Louis XIII., and held the Regency 
during her son's minority. 

MARIE D'ORLEANS, Princess (1813-1839). Daughter of King Louis- 
Philippe. She married Prince Alexander of Wiirtemberg. She had a 
talent for sculpture, and is the author of a statue of Jeanne d'Arc 
placed in the Court of the Hotel de Ville at Orleans. 

MARIE LOUISE, the Empress (1791-1847). Daughter of Francis IL, 
Emperor of Austria, Married Napoleon Lin 1810. 

MARY STUART, Queen of Scots (1542-1587). Married Francis II., King 
of France, who died in 1560. She returned to Scotland, where she 
had to struggle against the Reformation and the intrigues of Queen 
Elizabeth. She was imprisoned in England for eighteen years, and 
was finally executed. 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 327 

MAKTIN, M., a pupil of the l&cole Normale. He became professor in a 
Parisian institution, from which he was taken by the Prince de 
Talleyrand to superintend the education of his two nephews, Louis 
and Alexandre de Perigord. He afterwards became Eector of the 
Academie d' Amiens. 

MARTIN DU NOED, Nicolas Ferdinand (1789-1862). A French states- 
man and man of letters. Elected Deputy in 1830, he sat among the 
Conservatives. He was Avocat General ^ la Cour de Cassation in 1842, 
then Procureur General a laCour Royale de Paris. In 1834 he became 
Minister of Public Works, and in 1839, Minister of Justice and Public 
Worship. 

MARTINEZ DE LA ROSA, Francis (1789-1862). A Spanish statesman 
and man of letters. A Deputy in the Cortes in 1812, he there advo- 
cated the most advanced ideas, for which he was condemned to ten 
years' imprisonment in Morocco. He was liberated by the Revolution 
of 1820, and became President of the Council. Under the Queen 
Regent he became head of a Constitutional Cabinet, which signed the 
Quadruple Alliance, but he retired in 1835. He was afterwards 
Ambassador at Paris and Rome, and President of the Cortes. 

MASSA, Duchesse de. Born 1792. Daughter of the Due de Tarente. 
She married Regnier, Due de Massa, who died in 1861. 

MATUCZEWIECZ, Count Andre Joseph (1790-1842), A diplomatist in 
the Russian service of Polish birth. Was Minister of Russia in 
England ad intcTim, Minister of Naples and Stockholm. 

MAUGUIN, FranQois (1785-1854). An ardent Liberal. He was elected 
Deputy in 1827, and played a prominent part until 1848. After the 
cowp d'dtat of 1851, he retired to Saumur, where he lived with his 
daughter, the Comtesse de Rochefort. 

MEDEM, Count Paul (1800-1854). A Russian diplomatist. Charge 
d'Affaires at Paris, and then at London. In 1839 he was Minister 
at Stuttgart. 

MELBOURNE, William Lamb, Viscount (1779-1848). An English 
statesman. He was made Home Secretary by Lord Grey in 1830. 
He was a moderate Whig, and acquitted himself with much tact and 
devotion in the task which afterwards fell on him as Premier, of 
initiating the young Queen Victoria into her duties as Sovereign. 
Separated from his wife. Lady Catherine Ponsonby, famous for her 
liaison with Lord Byron, Lord Melbourne formed a connection with 
Mrs; Norton which, in 1836, ended in divorce proceedings and caused 
much scandal. 

MENDELSLOH, Charles Augustus Francis, Count (1788-1852). A Wiir- 
temberg diplomatist, who was Minister successively at St. Petersburg, 
London and Vienna. 

MENDIZABAL, Don Juan Alvarez y (1790-1853). A Spanish statesman, 
son of a poor shopkeeper, he made a great fortune in trade. He 
became Minister of Finance in 1835, but soon had to retire. 



328 DUCHESSE DE DING 

MENNECHET, :&douard (1794-1845). A BYench man of letters. Private 
secretary to the Due de Duras, who introduced him to Louis XVIII. 
The latter made him head of his private office, a post which Mennechet 
held also under Charles X. 

METTERNICH, Clement Wenceslas Lothair, Count, afterwards Prince 
(1773-1859). An Austrian statesman. He was Minister at The Hague, 
at Dresden, at Berlin, and Paris. In 1809 he became Austrian Minister 
for Foreign Affairs and remained in power until 1848, when the Revolu- 
tion forced him to fly. 

MIAOULIS, Andre (1771-1835). A Greek admiral. He was commander- 
in-chief of the insurgent fleet in 1821, beat the Turks at Patras, set 
fire to the ships of Ibrahim Pasha at Modon, but failed to prevent 
the fall of Missolonghi. In 1831 he put himself at the head of the 
Hydriotes, who had revolted against the President Capo d'Istria. 

MIGNET, Frangois Auguste Marie (1796-1884). A French historian, a 
member of the Academic frangaise, and Keeper of the Archives of 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

MINA, Don Francisco Espozy (1781-1836). A famous Spanish party 
leader. In 1809, at the time of the French invasion, he placed 
himself at the head of a guerilla band and obstructed the French 
operations for five years. In 1820, during the Spanish Eevolution, he 
held his own against Marshal Moncey. In 1834 he defended the 
Constitutional throne against the pretensions of Don Carlos. 

MIRABEAU, Victor Riquetti, Marquis de (1749-1791). The most eminent 
orator of the French Revolution. In 1789 he was a member of the 
States-General, and contributed by his eloquence to the success of the 
Constituent Assembly. 

MIRAFLORliS, Don Manuel, Marquis de (1792-1867). Descended from a 
mercantile family enriched by the wars of the eighteenth century, he 
was ennobled and made a grandee of Spain. He was Ambassador to 
London in 1834, and there signed the .celebrated treaty of the Quad- 
ruple Alliance. In 1846 he became Grand Chamberlain to Queen 
Isabella, and in 1864 President of the Council of Ministers. An 
eminent litterateur, he was a member of the Historical Academy of 
Madrid. 

MIRAFL0RI:S, Marquise de (1795-1867). Dona Vicenta Monina y 
Pontejos, heiress and niece of the celebrated Count de Florida- 
Blanca. Married the Marquis de Miraflor^s in 1814. 

MODENA, Duke of (1779-1846). Francis IV. of Modena, son of the 
Archduke Ferdinand of Austria. He married Princess Maria Beatrice, 
daughter of Victor Emmanuel, King of Sardinia. 

M0L1&, Comte Matthieu (1781-1855). Descended from a parliamentary 
family. He replaced the Due de Massa as Minister of Justice in 
1813, and then received the title of Count of the Empire. He rallied 
to Louis-Philippe, and in 1830 became Minister for Foreign Affairs. 
In 1840 he was elected a member of the Academie francaise. 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 329 

MOht, Comtesse, died 1845. Mile. Caroline de la Briche met Comte Mole 
as a young man in her mother's salon and married him in 1798. The 
Comtesse Mole published anonymously several works translated from 
the English. 

MOLLIEN, Frangois, Comte (1758-1850). A clever financier. He was 
made Minister of the Treasury in 1866. Louis XVIII. made him a 
Peer in 1819. 

MOLLIEN, Comtesse (1785-1878). Mile. Juliette Dutilleul, wife of 
Frangois Mollien. She was a distinguished and attractive person, and 
was Lady-in-waiting to Queen Marie Amelie. 

MONSON, Lord (1809-1841). Son of Lady Warwick by her first marriage. 
He left no children, and his cousin became his heir. 

MONSON, Lady Theodosia, daughter of Latham Blacker. Married Lord 
Monson in 1832. 

MONTESPAN, Marquise de (1641-1707). Frangoise Athenais de Eoche- 
chouart, the favourite of Louis XIV. 

MONTMORENCY, Raoul, Baron de (1790-1862). He took the title of 
Duke, in 1846, on his father's death. He married Euphemie de 
Harchies, by whom he had no children. His sisters were the 
Prlncesse de Bauffrement-Courtenay and the Duchesse de Valengay. 

MONTMORENCY, Duchesse de (1774-1846). Anne Louise Caroline de 
Matignon, mother of Raoul de Montmorency, of the Prlncesse de 
BaufErement, and the Duchesse de Valengay. 

MONTPENSIER, Duchesse de (1627-1693). Anne Marie Louise d'Orleans, 
known as La Grande Mademoiselle, was the only daughter of Gaston 
d'Orleans. She was several times on the verge of making the most 
brilliant marriages without ever succeeding. At forty-two she con- 
ceived a violent passion for a private gentleman, the Comte de Lauzun, 
whom she secretly married. She had taken a very active part in the 
Fronde. 

MONTROND, Comte Casimir de (1757-1843). A friend of M. de Talley- 
rand, and a hahitui of his house. Napoleon I., on his return from 
Elba, sent him to Vienna, where the Congress was sitting, to persuade 
M, de Talleyrand to join him, but M. de Talleyrand was inflexible 
in his loyalty to Louis XVIII. 

MONTROND, Comtesse de (1769-1820). Aimee de Coigny, who inspired 
Andre Ch^nier's Jeune Captive. Married first the Due de Fleury, and 
divorced him in order to marry the Comte de Montrond. 

MORELL, Baronne de. Mile, de Mornay, sister of the Marquis and the 
Comte de Mornay, married General Baron de Morell, who, in 1834, was 
in command of the cavalry school at Saumur. 

MORELL, Mile. Marie de. Born in 1818. Celebrated for her beauty. 
Was the daughter of General Baron de Morell. She married the 
Marquis d'Eyrargues, who filled various diplomatic positions in the 
reign of Louis-Philippe. 



SBO DUCHESSE DE DINO 

MORELLET, Abbe Andr6 (1727-1819). The friend of the most eminent 
personages of his time. The Abbe was especially celebrated for his 
subtle and mocking wit. He was a laborious contributor to the 
EncyclopMie and to the Dictionnaire de VAcadimie, the archives of 
which he saved at the Revolution. 

MORN AY, Comte Charles de (1803-1878). A Peer of France, Ambassador 
to Sweden, brother of Jules, Marquis de Mornay, Deputy for the Oise. 
He was devoted to the Monarchy of July, and was raised to the 
Peerage in 1845, and made Grand OlEcer of the Legion of Honour. In 
1848 he retired into private life. 

MORNINGTON, Lady (1742-1834). Anne, eldest daughter of Viscount 
Duncannon, married in 1759 the Earl of Mornington. One of her sons 
was the famous Duke of Wellington. 

MORTEMART, Mile. Alicia de (1800-1887). Daughter of the Due de 
Mortemart and his second wife. Born a de Cosse-Brissac ; she 
married in 1823 Paul, Due de Noailles. 

MORTIER, Marshal, Due de Trevise (1768-1835). Distinguished himself 
in the campaigns of the Revolution and the Empire. A Deputy and 
Peer of France in 1834. He accepted the Ministry of War together 
with the Presidency of the Council, and was killed by the explosion 
of Fieschi's infernal machine by the side of Louis-Philippe. 

MOSKOWA, Prince de la (1803-1857). Eldest son of Marshal Ney. He 
first entered the Swedish service, and did not return to France until 
after the Revolution of July. He was made a Peer of France under 
Louis-Philippe, and married the daughter of Jacques Laiitte. 

MOTTEUX, M. A habitui of Holland House, and a great favourite of the 
Prince de Talleyrand. He was very intimate with Lady Cowper, 
afterwards Lady Palmerston, and left all his fortune to her second 
son. 

MOUNT-EDGCUMBE, Richard, Lord (1764-1839). One of the intimates 
of King William I. He married in 1789 a daughter of the Earl of 
Buckinghamshire. 

MULGRAVE, Lord (1797-1863). Constantine Henry Phipps, afterwards 
Lord Normanby. He was a member of the Whig Ministry of Lord 
Melbourne, was Governor of Jamaica, and afterwards Lord-Lieutenant 
of Ireland. In 1846 he was sent to Paris as Ambassador, and went 
to Tuscany in the same capacity. 

MUNIER DE LA CONVERSERIE. General, Count (1766-1837). 

MUNSTER-LEDENBURG, Count Ernest Frederick Herbert von (1766- 
1839). As envoy of the Elector of Hanover, King of England, he 
helped to form several coalitions against France. He was Hanoverian 
Minister in London. He married in 1814 Wilhelmina Charlotte 
(1785-1858), sister of the Duke of Schaumburg-Lippe. 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 331 

MUSSET, Alfred de (1810-1857). A French poet, son of an official of the 
Ministry of War. He was a fellow-pupil of the Due d'Orleans at the 
Colleg-e Henri IV., and became his friend. 



N 

NANTES, Mile, de (1673-1743). Fourth child of Louis XIV. and Madame 
de Montespan, legitimated by Eoyal Letters Patent, and married in 
1785 to the Due de Bourbon. 

NAPLES, Princess Marie of (1820-1861). Married in 1850 Charles de 
Bourbon, Comte de Montemolin. 

NAPOLEON L, Emperor of the French (1769-1821). Second son of 
Charles Bonaparte and Laetitia Ramolino. Married first Josephine 
Tascher de la Pagerie, widow of General de Beauharnais, whom he 
divorced in 1810, and married Marie Louise, Archduchess of Austria, 
by whom he had a son. 

NASSAU, William George Augustus, Duke of (1782-1839). 

NECKER, Jacques (1732-1804). A banker of Geneva, who became 

Director of French Finances under Louis XVI. He was the father of 

Madame de Stael. 
NECKER, Madame (1739-1794). Suzanne Curchot, daughter of a Swiss 

Calvinist Pastor, wife of Jacques Necker, who was celebrated for her 

beauty, her wit, and her goodness. 

NEELD, Lady Caroline, died 1869. Daughter of the Earl of Shaftesbury. 

She married Joseph Neeld in 1831. 
NEMOURS, Due de (1814-1896). Louis Charles d'Orleans, son of King 

Louis-Philippe. He married a Princess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. 

NESSELRODE, Count (1780-1862). He belonged to a Westphalian family, 
a branch of which settled in Livonia. He entered the Russian diplo- 
matic service, and was attache at various Embassies, notably at that 
of Paris. He afterwards became Chancellor of the Russian Empire. 
He married the daughter of Count Gourieff, Russian Finance Minister. 
The Countess died in 1849. 

NETHERLANDS, Prince Frederick of the (1797-1881). Admiral of the 
Fleet. In 1825 he married Princess Louise of Prussia (1808-1870), 
daughter of King Frederick William III. 

NEY, Michel (1769-1815). Due d'Elchingen, Prince de la Moskowa, 
Marshal of France. He covered himself with glory in the wars of 
the Revolution and the Empire. Napoleon called him le brave des 
braves. Made a Peer of France by Louis XVIII. he declared for 
Napoleon in the Hundred Days. At the Second Restoration he was 
condemned by the House of Peers and shot. 

NICOLAS I., Czar of Russia (1776-1855). Third son of Paul I. He 
ascended the throne in 1825, succeeding his brother Alexander I. on 
the renunciation of his brother, the Grand Duke Constantine, 



332 DUCHESSE DE DIKO 

NOAILLES, Paul, Due de (iS02-1885). Attached himself to the Govern- 
ment of Louis-Philippe and frequently took part in important debates 
in the House of Peers. At the Kevolutiou of 1S4S he retired into 
private life, and thenceforth occupied himself with literature. He 
was elected to the Academy in 1849. 

NOAILLES, Duchess de. See MORTEMART. 

NOAILLES, Vicomtesse de (1792-1851). Charlotte Marie Antoinette, 
daughter of the Due de Poix, married her cousin Alfred, Vicomte de 
Noailles, who was killed in 1812 at the crossing of the Beresina. 

NOAILLES, Mile. Sabine(de (1819-1870). Married, 1846, Lionel Widdring- 
ton Standish. 

NORFOLK, Duke of (1791-1856). Married, 1814, Charlotte Sophia, 
daughter of the Duke of Sutherland. William IV. conferred the 
Order of the Garter on him in 1834. 

NORTHUMBERLAND, Duchess of. Died 1848. She was Lady Louisa 
Stuart Wortley. 

o 

O'CONNELL, Daniel (1775-1847). Early in life he became connected 
with associations for the emancipation of Irish Catholics. In 1823 he 
founcled a Catholic Association embracing all Ireland. As member of 
the House of Commons he had much influence ; brought about the 
triumph of the Whigs and supported Parliamentary Reform. 

OLIVIER, Abbe Nicolas Theodore. Born 1798. He was Cure de Saint- 
Roch in Paris, and in 1841 became Bishop of fivreux. 

OMPTEDA, Charles Georges, Baron (1767-1857). A Hanoverian diplo- 
matist, Minister of State, and Chief of the Hanoverian Cabinet in 
1823. From 1831 he was accredited to the Court of St. James. He 
resigned on the death of William IV. 

OMPTEDA, Baroness (1767-1843). Frederica Christina, Countess von 
Schlippenbach. She married first Count Solms-Sonnenwald, and 
secondly Baron Ompteda. 

ORANGE, William, Prince of (1793-1849). Ascended the throne of 
Holland in 1840. He marned, in 1816, Anna Paulowna, ^.r. 

ORLEANS, Due d' (1741-1793). Louis Philippe Joseph, known as Philippe 
l&galite. He systematically opposed the Court throughout his life, and 
in 1787 became the leader of all the malcontents. He was elected to 
the States-General, and became a member of the Jacobin Club, but 
this did not prevent his being guillotined. 

ORLlfiANS, Due d' (1810-1842). Ferdinand, eldest son of King 
Louis-Philippe and Queen Marie Amelie. He served under Marshal 
Gerard in Belgium, commanded in the Algerian campaigns, and died as 
the result of a carriage accident near Paris. 

ORSAY, Count Alfred d' (1801-1852). Surnamed the King of Fashion. 
Good looks were hereditary in the d'Orsay family and the Count was 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 333 

a dandy by vocation. He went eariy in life to London, then regarded 
as the centre of masculine elegance. He ruined himself by his extra- 
vagant though artistic tastes, and died miserably of a spinal com- 
plaint. 

OSSULSTON, Lord, born 1810. He married a daughter of the Duke of 
Manchester and in 1859 became Lord Tankerville. 



PAHLEN, Peter, Count, born in 1775, a Russian General. He played a 
distinguished part in the campaigns of 1812, 1813, and 1814, was 
Russian Ambassador at Paris from 1835 till 1841, and was afterwards 
made a member of the Council of the Empire and Inspector-General 
of the Cavalry. 

PALAFOX, Don Jose de (1780-1847). The intrepid defender of Saragossa, 
In 1808 he accompanied the Royal Family to France as an officer, and 
escaped when he saw Ferdinand VII. detained as a prisoner. He 
raised all Aragon, and, after vigorously defending Saragossa, forced 
the French to retreat. They returned, however, to the charge with 
all their forces and compelled him to capitulate. Palafox powerfully 
contributed to the restoration of Ferdinand VII. to the throne. In 
1820 he declared for the Constitution, and thereafter lived in retire- 
ment. On her accession as Regent, Queen Maria Christina made him 
Duke of Saragossa and a Grandee of Spain. 

PALMELLA, P. de Souza Holstein, Due de (1786-1850). A Portuguese 
statesman. He was Regent of Portugal in 1830, and made the cause 
of Dona Maria prevail over that of Dom Miguel. He was one of the 
plenipotentiaries at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. 

PALMERSTON, Lord (1784-1865). An English statesman. Elected to 
the Commons in 1807, he was a Lord of the Admiralty in 1808, Secre- 
tary for War 1809-1828, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 1830- 
1841, and 1846-1851, Home Secretary 1852-1855, First Lord of the 
Treasury 1855-1858, and from 1859 till his death. 

PALBIERSTON, Lady (1787-18G9). Sister of Lord Melbourne, married 
first Lord Cowper and secondly Lord Palmerston. 

PALM YRE, Mile. The first dressmaker in Paris in the time of Louis- 
Philippe. 

PARRY, Sir William Edward (1790-1855). An English navigator famous 
for his expeditions to the North Pole. He was hydrographer 
to the Admiralty, and accompanied Ross on his first voyage of dis- 
covery. 

PASQUIBR, :&tienne, Due (1767-1862). Napoleon made him Maitre des 
Requetes, then Conseiller d'^^tat. He rallied to the Bourbons in 1814, 
was made Garde des Sceaux in 1815, and afterwards a member of the 
Upper House, the Presidency of which he received under Louis- 
Philippe, He was raised to the dignity of Chancellor in 1837, 



334 DUG HESSE DE DINO 

PASSY, Hypolite Philibert (1793-1880). A French politician and member 
of the Institute, elected Deputy in 1830. He was a member of the 
ephemeral Cabinet of the Due de Bassano in 1834. In 1838 he suc^- 
ceeded M. de Talleyrand as member of the Academy of Moral and 
Political Science. 

PASTA, Judith (1798-1865). An Italian singer of Jewish origin. She 
came to Paris in 1821 and made a great name for herself. She 
retired in 1849 to her beautiful house by the lake of Como. 

PEDKO I., Dom (1798-1834). Emperor of Brazil and Kmg of Portugal, 
father of Queen Doiia Maria of Portugal. 

PEEL, Sir Robert (1788-1850). An English statesman. Elected to the 
House of Commons in 1809, he was Home Secretary in 1822. He was 
Conservative in politics, but held Liberal views on questions of 
criminal legislation and administration. He was a member of several 
Ministries and in 1838 re-established the financial equilibrium of the 
country, disturbed by the Whig deficit of £30,000,000, by the introduc- 
tion of the Income Tax, while he opened new sources of revenue by 
the abolition of the Corn Laws. 

PEEL, Lady, died 1849. Julia, daughter of General Sir John Lloyd, Bart., 
married Sir Robert Peel in 1820. 

P^PIN (1780-1836). A grocer of the Place dela Bastille, Paris. Pepin was 
elected Captain of the Garde Nationale after the events of July 1830. 
He was implicated in Fieschi's crime in 1835 and was arrested, con- 
demned to death and executed. 

PERIER, Casimir (1777-1832). He entered politics in 1817. After 1830 
he was elected President of the Chamber of Deputies, and shortly 
afterwards was made Minister without a portfolio. In 1831 he was 
President of the Council, and governed in a firm and resolute manner. 
He succumbed to an attack of cholera contracted as the consequence 
of a visit to the H6tel Dieu with the Duo d'Orleans. 

PERIGORD, Duc-de (1788-1879). Augustin Marie :^lie Charles de Talley- 
rand-Perigord. A Grandee of Spain of the first class. 

PERIGORD, Duchesse de (1789-1866). Marie Nicolette, daughter of the 
Comte de Choiseul-Praslin, married, in 1807, the Due de Perigord. 

PERIGORD, Alexandre, Comte de, afterwards Due de Dino (1813-1894). 
Second son of the Due de Talleyrand and the Princess Dorothea of 
Courland. Alexandre de Perigord was at first in the Navy, but soon 
abandoned that career. In 1849 he took part in the campaign of 
Piedmont against Austria as a member of the Staff of King Charles 
Albert, and during the Crimean War he was attached to the Sardinian 
Army Corps as French Commissary. He married Mile. Valentine de 
Sainte-Aldegonde. 

PfiRIGORD, MUe. Pauline de (1820-1890). Daughter of the Due de 
Talleyrand and of the author of these Memoirs. She married, in 1839 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 335 

Henri, Marquis de Castellane, who died in 1847. From that time she 
lived a retired life, distinguished by the practice of the highest 
virtues. She lived for the most of the year at her estate of Roche- 
cotte, in the Valley of the Loire. 

PERSIL, Jean Charles (1785-1870). A French magistrate and states- 
man. Elected Deputy in 1830, he immediately attacked the Polignac 
Ministry, protesting against the decrees. He was Minister of Justice 
in 1834, but, having had a difference of opinion with M. Mole, he 
resigned. In 1839 he entered the Upper House, and took the Direction 
of the Hotel des Monnaies. Napoleon III. made him a member of 
the Conseil d'etat. 

PETER, Mrs. An English lady very well known in London society about 
1835, and the friend of several statesmen. 

PETIT, General (1772-1856). Distinguished himself in the campaigns of 
the Revolution and the Empire. It Vas he who, at Fontainebleau, 
received the last accolade of the Emperor and the touching adieux 
which he addressed to the whole army. He was made a Peer of 
France in 1838. 

PIRON, M. (1802-1865). Son of a landed proprietor in the Nivernais. 
He was well educated, and occupied an important position in the 
French Post Office. His duties brought him into contact with the 
English postal officials, and he knew England well. In 1834 M. Dupin, 
who came from the same part of France, took him with him on his 
journey to London in order that M. Piron might act as his guide to 
English society, with which he had for some time been in touch. He 
had, for instance, known the Duke of Richmond (who had been Post- 
master-General) and Lord Brougham. The premature death of his 
son, to whom he was deeply attached, inflicted such a blow on M. Piron 
that he too died of a seizure some weeks later. 

PITT, William (1759-1806). Followed in the footsteps of his father, the 
celebrated English statesman. After the French Revolution he dis- 
played a great hatred of France and made three coalitions against 
her. He was a great administrator. 

PLANTAGENET. A dynasty which occupied the throne of England 
from Henry II. till the accession of Henry VII. In the fourteenth 
century the family separated into two rival branches, from whose 
quarrels arose the Wars of the Roses, 

PLYMOUTH, Lady (1792-1864), She was a daughter of the Duke of 
Dorset, and married first, in 1811, Lord Plymouth, Having become a 
widow she married, secondly, William Pitt, Lord Amherst. She died 
childless. 

POIX, Dachesse-Princesse de (1785-1862). Melanie de Perigord, daughter 
of the Dae de Talleyrand and Mile, de Senozan, married, in 1809, 
Juste, Comte de Noailles, Prince de Poix. The Duchesse de Poix had 
been Lady-in-waiting to the Duchesse de Berry. 



836 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

POLIGNAC, Jules Armand, Prince de (1780-1847). President of the 
Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs at the end of the reign of 
Charles X. On July 29, 1830, he signed the famous decrees which 
caused the Revolution and the fall of the elder branch of the 
Bourbons. 

POLIGNAC, Priucesse de. Nie Miss Barbara Campbell, a Scottish lady. 
She was very beautiful and very rich, but of obscure family. She had 
to abjure the Protestant religion and become a Catholic in order to 
marry the Prince de Polignac. She died in 1819. 

PONIATOWSKI, Prince Joseph (1762-1803). A Polish general. He 
served in the Polish Legion under Napoleon I., was made a Marshal 
of France at Leipzig, and perished in the waters of the Elster. 
His chivalrous courage won him the surname of the Bayard of 
Poland. 

PONSONBY, Lord (1770-1855). Brother-in-law of Lord Grey. Ambassador 
at Constantinople, 1822-1827. 

PORCHESTER, Lord (1800-1849). Henry John Charles, Earl of Carnarvon. 
Married, in 1830, the daughter of Lord Molyneux. 

POTOCKI, Stanislas, Coimt (1757-1821). Fought against Russia in 1793, 
in which year he left Poland. On the creation of the Grand Duchy 
of Warsaw by Napoleon I., he was made Senator Palatine and Chief 
of the Council of State. He was retained in office by the Czar 
Alexander I. On the formation of the new kingdom of Poland Count 
Potocki was appointed Minister of Public Worship and Instruction, 
and afterwards President of the Council of State. 

POZZO DI BORGO, Count (1764-1842). A Corsican, who took service 
under different Powers, and finally under Russia. He was one of the 
Czar's representatives at the Congress of Vienna, and was afterwards 
Ambassador. 

PRUDHON, Pierre (1760-1822). A French painter. He spent several 
years at Rome, where he became intimate with Canova. He was 
selected by Napoleon I. to give drawing lessons to the Empress Marie 
Louise. 

PRUSSIA, Prince Louis of (1773-1796). Brother of King Frederick- 
William III. He married Princess Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, 
sister of Queen Louise of Prussia. 



Q 

QUBLEN, Comte de (1778-1839). A member of a Breton family, he took 
Orders early in life. Cardinal Fesch favoured him, and made him his 
secretary. Under the Restoration he became Coadjutor of Cardinal 
de Talleyrand-Perigord, and in 1821 he succeeded him as Archbishop 
pf Paris, In 1831 his palace was sacked during a riot. Mgr. de 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 337 

Quelen showed the utmost devotion during the cholera epidemic of 
1832. His pastoral letters and several elegantly written funeral 
sermons secured his election to the Academic frangaise. 



R 

RADNOK, William, Lord (1779-1869). A Member of the British Parlia- 
ment and a friend of Lord Brougham. He married three times ; first 
in 1814, the daughter of the Duke of Montrose; secondly, in 1837, 
Emily Bagot ; and finally, Fanny Royd-Rice. 

RAMBUTEAU, Claude Philibert Bertelot, Comte de (1781-1869), Cham- 
berlain to Napoleon I. in 1809. Peer of France in 1835, a Member of 
the Academic des Beaux-Arts in 1843. In 1833 Louis-Philippe made 
him Prefect of the Seine, and he held this post for fifteen years. He 
married in 1809 the daughter of Louis, Comte de Narbonne. 

RAPHAEL SANZIO (1483-1520). The celebrated painter of the Roman 
School. 

RAULLIN, M. Son of an oflScial in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, vyho 
was much esteemed by the Prince de Talleyrand. He became a 
Conseiller d'etat. 

RAYNEVAL, Maximilien, Comte de (1778-1836). A French diplomatist. 
Secretary of Embassy at Lisbon, then at St. Petersburg ; he was 
made Consul-General at London at the Restoration. He then 
became successively Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, 
Ambassador at Berlin, in Switzerland, at Vienna and at Madrid. In 
every case he rendered eminent services, and was made a Count and 
raised to the Peerage. 

R^AL, Comte (1765-1834). Procureur au Chatelet before the Revolution, 
Conseiller d'l&tat after the 18th brumaire. Prefect of Police during 
the Hundred Days. He was proscribed by the Second Restoration, 
and did not return to France till 1818. In 1830 he had a post in the 
ofl5.ce of the Prefect of Police, and thereafter lived in retirement. 

R^CAMIER, (1777-1849). Julie Bernard, married when she was sixteen 
M. Recamier, a rich Parisian banker. ■ ' She was both witty and good, 
and under the Consulate and the Empire she collected in her salon a 
crowd of distinguished persons. Exiled from Paris she returned after 
the fall of Napoleon. Madame Recamier retired in 1819 to the Abbaye- 
aux-Bois, where she continued to receive all the celebritiesof the period. 

REGENT, The, Philippe d'OrMans (1674-1723). Governed France during 
the minority of Louis XV, 

R^MUSAT, Charles, Comte de (1797-1875). A French author and poli- 
tician; A member of the Institut and a Minister of State. 

RETZ, Cardinal de (1614-1679). Jean Fran9ois Paul de Gondi played a 
prominent part in the Fronde troubles. He was forced into exile until 
the death of Mazarin. He left Memoirs which are one of the master- 
pieces of French literature. 

y 



338 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

RICHMOND, Duke of (1799-1860), Charles Lennox, a British officer, 
Lord Lieutenant of Sussex. Became Postmaster-General in the 
Reform Government of 1830. He married a sister of the Marquess of 
Anglesea. 

RIGNY, Henri Gauthier, Comte de (1783-1835). Entered the Navy 1798 
and took part in the campaigns of the First Empire. He was made 
a Rear-Admiral at the Restoration, and distinguished himself at 
Navarino, on which occasion he received the title of Count and was 
made Maritime Prefect of Toulon, He became Minister of Marine in 
1831, then Minister for Foreign Affairs, and afterwards Ambassador 
to Naples. 

RIPON, Lord (1781-1859). Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1833. He 
was originally a Tory but joined the Whigsj 

ROBESPIERRE, Maximilien (1758-1794). A lawyer and member of the 
Convention^ He governed by terror through the Committee of Public 
Safety, but a reaction set in and he perished on the scaffold. 

ROBSH ART, Amy (1532-1560). Married Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester 
in 1550, but soon separated from him. She was found dead, and it 
was never discovered whether she had committed suicide or if 
Leicester had killed her in the hope of marrying Queen Elizabeth. She 
is the heroine of Sir Walter Scott's novel Kenilworth^ 

RODIL, Marquis de (1789-1853), Don Jose Ronion Rodil joined the 
battalion called the "literary cadets" in 1808, at the time of the 
French invasion of Spain. In 1816 he sailed for the revolted 
South American colonies, and distinguished himself at the defence of 
Callao, He returned to Spain in 1825, and in 1833 assisted Dom Pedro 
in Portugal against Dom Miguel and Don Carlos, In 1836 he was 
Minister of War for a few months. From 1840 till 1843 he was Presi- 
dent of the Council in the last Ministry of the Espartero Regency, 

ROGERS, Samuel (1763-1855), An English poet. He was a man of a 
good and generous nature, but his sarcasm spared no one.- 

ROLAND, Madame (1754-1793); Manon Philipon, a woman of a dis- 
tinguished intellect, who married a member of the Convention. She 
died on the scaffold, 

ROMERO-ALPUENDE. A Spanish Deputy, He was an extreme Radical 
of an extravagant temperament, but of little importance. 

ROSS, Sir John (1777-1856). Son of the Rev. Andrew Ross, and a Captain 
in the British Navy. He made himself famous by his two expeditions 
to the Polar Sea along with Sir Edward Parry in 1818 and 1819. Sir 
John Ross made the second expedition at his own expense and found 
the Northern magnetic pole. He lost his ship, and it was not until the 
fourth winter after his departure that he was rescued by a Hull vessel 
and brought back to England. 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 339 

ROTHSCHILD, Nathan (1777-1826). Third son of Mayer Anselme Roth- 
schild, founder of the famous banking house. Hewas head of the 
London Branch. 

ROTHSCHILD, Madame Salomon de (1774-1855). Wife of Salomon 
Rothschild, who founded a branch of the business at Vienna, and 
divided the German business with his brother Mayer. Towards 1835 
he left the management of the Viennese business to his son and came 
to Paris with his wife to join his brother James. 

ROUSSIN, Admiral (1781-1854). Post-Captain in 1814 ; corrected the 
charts of the coasts of Africa and Brazil ; Rear-Admiral in 1822, he 
was a member of the Admiralty Council in 1824. In 1831 he com- 
manded the French Squadron sent to demand satisfaction from 
Portugal for the insults offered to French residents. He forced the 
entrance to the Tagus, reputed impregnable, and obtained all that 
he demanded. At the close of this brilliantly successful expedition 
Louis-Philippe, in 1832, raised him to the Peerage with the title 
of Baronj 

ROYER-COLLARD, Pierre Paul (1763-1845). A French philosopher and 
statesman. He was a lawyer, and in 1797 a member of the Conseil 
des Cinq Cents. Under the First Empire he gave up politics and 
occupied himself entirely with the study of philosophy. He was made 
a member of the Academie fran9aise in 1827. M. Royer-CoUard lived 
at Chateau vieux, near Valengay, and was a great friend of the Prince 
de Talleyrand and the Duchesse de Dino. 

RTJBINI, Jean Baptiste (1795-1854). A celebrated Italian singer. Bellini's 
operas owed much of their success to him. 

RUSSELL, Lord William (1799-1846). An English diplomatist; He was 
for some years Ambassador at Berlin. He married Elizabeth Rawdon, 
niece of the Marquess of Hastings. 

RUSSELL, Lord John (1792-1878). An English statesman; third son 
of the Duke of Bedford. He was one of the authors of the celebrated 
Reform Bill. In 1831 he was Home Secretary, Secretary for the 
Colonies, and Head of the Whig Cabinet. In 1859 he was Foreign 
Secretary, and again Premier on the death of Lord Palmerston. 



SAINTE-ALDEGONDE, Comtesse de (1793-1869) ; nee de Chavagnes. A 
Creole by origin, she married Marshal Augereau, Due de Castiglione, 
who died in 1816. In 1817 she married the Comte de Sainte-Aldegonde. 
She had two daughters, the second of whom married Alexandre 
de Perigord, Due de Dino. 

SAINTE-AULAIRE, Louis Beaupoil, Comte de. He was Chamberlain to 
Napoleon I., a Prefect under Louis XVIII., and a Deputy, After 



340 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

1830 lie was one of the ablest supporters of the Monarchy of July, 
was successively Ambassador at Kome, Vienna, and London, and 
was raised to the Peerage. 

SAINT THEKESA (1615-1582). Of a rich and noble family of Avila in Old 
Castile. She reformed the Carmelite Order, St. John of the Cross, 
reformed that of the Carmelite Monks. She was canonised in 1621 . Her 
numerous writings led to her being named a doctor of the Church by 
Popes Gregory XV. and Urban VIII. 

SAINT-LEU or SAINT-LOUP (573-623). Archbishop of Sens from 609, 
famous for his charity. King Clotaire IL, deceived by false reports, 
exiled him to Picardy in 613, but on better knowledge of the facts, 
recalled him in the following year and loaded him with honours. 

SAINT-LEU, Duchesse de. See BEAUHAKNAIS, Hortense de. 

SAINT-PAUL, Vergibier de. A French general who commanded the troops 
of the Indre in 1834. 

SAINT-PRIEST, Alexis, Comte de (1805-1851). Son of the Comte de 
Saint-Priest, Governor of Odessa, and of a Princess Galitzin. He did 
not come to France till 1822, when he attracted much notice owing to 
his literary tastes. An intimate friend of the Due d'Orl^ans, he entered 
the diplomatic service in 1833 and became French Minister in Brazil, 
at Lisbon and Copenhagen, He was made a Peer of Prance in 1841, 
and a Member of the Academie fran9aise in 1849. He married 
Mile, de La Guiche. 

SALISBURY, Marchioness of (1750-1835). Mary Amelia, daughter of the 
Marquess of Devonshire. Married in 1773. She was burned to death 
in a fire at Hatfield House. 

SALVANDY, Comte de (1795-1856). At first a soldier, he took part in the 
Campaigns of 1813 and 1814, retiring from the service at the Restora- 
tion, under which he held several posts at the Court of Louis XVIII. 
He resigned in 1823, and turned to literature. After 1830 he was 
elected Deputy and was Minister of Public Instruction 1837-1839, 
Ambassador at Madrid 1841, at Turin, 1843. From 1845 till 1848 he 
was again Minister of Public Instruction. In 1835 he was elected 
to the Academie fran^aise. 

SAMPAIO, Antonio Rodriguez (1806-1882). A Portuguese journalist and 
statesman, a consistent Liberal. 

SAND, George (1804-1876). Aurore Dupin, Baroness Dudevant, one of 
the most celebrated authoresses of the nineteenth century. 

SARAIVA, Antonio Ribeira (1800-1890), A Portuguese diplomatist. 
Under Dom Miguel's Regency he was sent on a secret mission to Spain 
and England, He was a fanatical partisan of absolute power and did 
not return to Portugal after the fall of the Pretender but lived in 
London till his death. 

SARMENTO, M. de. A Portuguese diplomatist, the representative of 
Dom Pedro in London at the Conferences after 1830, 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 341 

SAUZET, Paul (1800-1877). A member of the Lyons bar. He was elected 
Deputy in 1834, and two years later was made Minister of Justice in 
the Thiers Cabinet. 

SAXE-MAUEICE, Comte de (1695-1750). Marshal of France. He was 
natural son of Augustus II., Elector of Saxony, and the Countess 
Aurora von Koenigsmark. He covered himself with glory in the war 
of the Austrian Succession, and in recompense of his services King 
Louis XIV. gave him the Chateau of Cambord and 40,000 livres a year, 

SAXE-MEININGEJSr, Bernard, Duke of (1800-1882). Brother of Queen 
Adelaide of England. In 1866 he abdicated in favour of his son, Duke 
George II. 

SCHEFFER, Ary (1785-1858). A French painter whose family was of 
German origin. He was a great favourite of King Louis-Philippe and 
his family, 

S^BASTIANI DE LA PORTA, Marshal (1775-1851), A Corsican by birth, 
he distinguished himself with the army of Italy. In 1806 he was sent 
as Ambassador to Constantinople, where he made the Sultan Selim 
declare war on Russia, and directed the operations which compelled 
the British Fleet to repass the Dardanelles. After Waterloo he was 
one of the Commissaries appointed to treat for peace. Under Louis- 
Philippe he was Minister for Foreign Affairs, and afterwards 
Ambassador at Naples and London. He married Fanny de Coigny, 
who died in 1807 in giving birth to a daughter, who married the Duo 
de Praslin. 

SEFTON, Lord (1772-1838). Made a Peer in 1831. He married in 1791 
Maria Margaret, daughter of Lord Craven, who died in 1851. 

SIGUIER, Comte (1768-1848). An dmigre daring the Revolution. He 
returned in 1800 and, thanks to Cambaceres, he had a fine judicial career 
under the Empire. In 1815 Louis XVIII. made him a Peer of France, 
and appointed him to prosecute Marshal Ney. He rallied to Louis- 
Philippe in 1830, 

S^GUR, Louis Philippe, Comte de (1753-1833). Took part in the American 
war in 1781. Was Ambassador at St. Petersburg. Lived by his pen 
during the Revolution, was afterwards called to the Corps L^gislatif 
by the First Consul and became Grand Master of the Ceremonies at 
the Imperial Court. He was a member of the Academic fran9aise 
from 1803, and Louis XVIII. made him a Peer. 

S^MONVILLE, Marquis de (1754-1839). He was charged with several 
foreign missions. A Peer of France iu 1814, he was the first to receive 
the title of Grand Referendaire de la Cour des Pairs, a position which 
he did not resign till 1834, 

S6VIGN6, Marquise de (1626-1696). Marie de Rabntin-Chantal, one of the 
most distinguished women of the seventeenth century, famous for the 
letters which she wrote to her daughter Mp,dame de G^ignan, Sh© 



342 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

married in 1644 the Marquis de Sevigne, who was killed in a duel, 
leaving her a widow at twenty-five. 

SGEICCI, Thomas (1788-1836). A celebrated Italian improvisatore and a 
great scholar. He revealed his prodigious facility in versification at 
a masked ball, where in the costume of the Sibyl he delivered oracles in 
verse with an ease and promptitude which were much admired. 

SHAFTESBUEY, Cropley Ashley (1768-1851). A mem'ber of the House of 
Lords. He married Anne, daughter of the Duke of Marlborough. 

SIDNEY, John Eobert, Lord. Born 1805. Lord Chamberlain ; married, in 
1832, Lady Emily Caroline Paget, daughter of the Marquis of Anglesey. 

SIDNEY, Sophia, Lady. Lady Sophia Fitzclarence, a natural daughter of 
William IV. of England. Married, in 1825, Philip Charles Sidney, 
Baron de I'lsle and Dudley. 

SIEYilS, Abb^ (1748-1836). He was Vicar-General of Chartres, and one of 
the greatest politicians of his time. He made manifest the power of 
the Tiers ^^tat, and was the author of several of the most important 
measures of the Eevolution. He was a member of the Conseil des 
Cinq Cents, and was made a Senator and a Count by Napoleon. 

SOBIESKI, John III., King of Poland (1629-1696). One of the national 
heroes of his country ; he conquered the Turks and delivered Vienna 
when besieged by Kara Mustapha. 

SOMEESET, Duke of (1773-1855). Edward Saint Maur, Baron Seymour. 
He married Lady Hamilton. 

SOPHIA OF ENGLAND, Princess (1777-1848). One of the daughters of 
George III. of England. She died unmarried. 

SOULT, Nicholas Jean de Dieu (1769-1852). He took part in all the 
Campaigns of the Eevolution and the Empire. After the taking of 
Konigsberg, he was made Due de Dalmatie. Exiled by the Second 
Eestoration he attached himself to the Government of 1830, and was 
twice Minister of War, and President of the Council. 

SPEING EICE, Sir Thomas (1790-1866). He was raised to the Peerage in 
1839, as Lord Monteagle of Brandon. He was Under Secretary of 
State for the Home Department in 1827, then Secretary to the 
Treasury, and in 1834, Secretary of State for the Colonies. In 1835 
he became Chancellor of the Exchequer. He was a Fellow of the Eoyal 
Society, and of the Eoyal Astronomical Society. 

STAEL, Madame de (1766-1817). N4e Necker, famous for her talent and 
her banishment. 

STAEL, Baronne de. Adelaide Vernet, grand-daughter of the Swiss Pro- 
fessor Pictet. Married in 1826 Auguste, Baron de Stael, son of the 
famous Madame de Stael. 

STANLEY, Edward Geoffrey (1799-1869). An English statesman better 
known as the Earl of Derby, to which title he succeeded in 1831. He 
was Under Secretary of State for the Colonies in 1827. Then (1830- 
1833) Chief Secretary for Ireland. As Secretary of State for the 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 343 

Colonies in 1833 he passed the Bill for the Emancipation of Slaves. 
In 1858 he pacified India and reorganised its administration. He 
married in 1825 the second daughter of Lord Skelmersdale. 

STANLEY, Edward, Baron (1801-1869). Member of the British Parlia- 
ment from 1831. He was Under Secretary of State, Under Secretary 
for Foreign Affairs, and Postmaster-General. He married in 1826 a 
daughter of Viscount Dillon. 

STEVENS, Catherine (1794-1872). An English singer who was much 
admired. She appeared at Covent Garden, then at Drury Lane. She 
retired in 1815, and in 1838 married the Earl of Essex. 

STRATFOED DE EEDCLIFFE, Lord. Sir Stratford Canning (1788-1880). 
Cousin of the celebrated Canning and an English diplomatist. He 
was Minister Plenipotentiary in Switzerland, took part in the Congress 
of Vienna in 1815, and was Ambassador at Constantinople from 1851 
till 1858, when he retired. He was created Viscount Stratford de 
Redcliffe. 

STUART OF ROTHESAY, Lady (1789-1867). A daughter of Lord Hard- 
wicke. She married in 1816. 

SURREY, Earl of (1815-1860). Eldest §on of the Duke of Norfolk. 
Elected to Parliament in 1837, where he posed as a zealous Catholic. 
In 1839 he married a daughter of Lord Lyons, and he became Duke of 
Norfolk on the death of his father in 1856. 

SUSSEX, Augustus Frederick, Duke of (1773-1843). One of the sons of 
King George III. of England. He was Grand Master of Freemasons 
in that country. 

SUCHET, Marie (1820-1835). Daughter of Marshal Suchet, Due d'Albu- 
fera. She was an intimate friend of Mile. Pauline de Perigord, and 
died young. 

SUTHERLAND, Duchess of, died 1868. Daughter of Lord Carlisle ; she 
married the Duke of Sutherland in 1823. The Duchess was Mistress 
of the Robes to Queen Victoria. 



TAHMASP-KOULI-KHAN, NADIR SHAH, King of Persia (1688-1747). 
At first a camel driver and then a brigand. He entered the service of 
Tahmasp II. , brought the affairs of that Prince into a most flourishing 
condition by defeating the Turks, and then deposed him. After an 
interval of regency, he caused himself to be proclaimed Shah of 
Persia. He reduced the Afghans, who had revolted, and attacked the 
Empire of the Great Mogul. He oppressed the Persians, who hated 
him, and he was killed by his own generals. 

TALLEYRAND-PBRIGORD, Cardinal de (1736-1821). Alexandre Ang^- 
lique, second son of Daniel de Talleyrand-Perigord and Marie de 
Chamillart, Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen. He entered the Church, 
was ijiade almoner to the King, Vicar-general of Verdun, and in 1766 



344 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

coadjutor to the Archbishop of Rheims, whom he succeeded in 1777. 
Deputy to the States-General in 1789, he struggled against inno- 
vation and left the country. A councillor of Louis XVIII. at 
Mittau, Monseigneur de Perigord became, in 1808, his grand almoner ; 
his was the first name inscribed on the list of Peers in 1814, and in 
1817 he obtained the Cardinal's hat and the Archbishopric of Paris. 

TALLEYRAND, Prince de (1754-1838). Charles Maurice de Talleyrand- 
Perigord, Prince of Benevento, Due de Dino, a Peer, Grand Chamber- 
lain of France, and a member of the Institut. Lame from birth he 
was destined for the Church, although the eldest of his family. A 
pupil of Saint-Sulpice, he completed his ecclesiastical studies there, 
and was at first known as the Abbe de Perigord. In 1788 he was 
Bishop of Autun ; in 1789 a member of the States-General. After- 
wards he was obliged to take refuge in America, from which he 
returned in 1797. He was made Minister for Foreign Affairs by the 
Directory, and for eight years directed the external policy of France. 
In his capacity of Vice-Grand Elector of the Empire he was able, in 
1814, to convoke the Senate and proclaim the deposition of the 
Emperor. He represented Louis XVIII. at the Congress of Vienna. 
In 1830 Louis-Philippe appointed him Ambassador in London. The 
last act of his public life was the conclusion of the Quadruple Alliance 
between France, England, Spain and Portugal. 

TALLEYRAND, Princesse de (1762-1835). Daughter of Captain Werlee 
of the navy and Laurence Allany. She was born on the Coromandel 
Coast of India, and at the age of fifteen she married at Calcutta a 
Civil Servant named George Grant ; she was, however, divorced a year 
later. Towards 1780 Mrs. Grant sailed for Europe, and settled at 
Paris, where she married the Prince de Talleyrand in 1802. She 
separated from her husband and retired to Auteuil. She died in 
1835 and was buried at Montparnasse with this inscription: "The 
widow of Mr. Grant, afterwards civilly married to the Prince de 
Talleyrand." 

TALLEYRAND-PEEIGORD, Baronne de (1800-1873). Charlotte-Alix- 
Sarah, wife of Baron Alexandre-Daniel de Talleyrand, Conseiller 
d'etat, by whom she had three children. 

TALLEYRAND-P:&RIG0RD, Edmond, Comte de (1787-1872). Due de 
Dino from 1817, and Due de Talleyrand after the death of his father 

n 1838. He married in 1809 Princess Dorothea of Courlande. A 
brave oiScer and a good comrade, he was singled out for praise 
among the aides-de-camp of Major-General Berthier. He took part in 

he campaigns of the Grand Armee. He was Commander of the Order 
of Saint-Louis, Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour, and Knight 
Grand Cross of the Order of S. Ferdinand of Spain. He passed the 
last forty years of his life at Florence, where he died. 

TALMA, Fran§ois Joseph (1766-1826). A celebrated tragic actor much 
liked by J^apoleon, who paid his debts more than once. 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 345 

TANKERVILLE, Lady. Died 1865. Daughter of Antoine, Due de 
Gramont, She married Lord Tankerville in 1806. 

TAYLOR, Sir Herbert (1775-1839). At first an officer in the army, he 
became private secretary to his friend the Duke of York, and was 
transferred in the same capacity to the service of King George IIL 
He was charged with several delicate missions in Sweden and Holland. 
He married a daughter of Edward Disbrowe. 

TERCEIRA, Duke of. Marquis of Villaflor (1790-1860). A Portuguese 
General. He placed himself at the head of the partisans of Dom 
Pedro and helped him to expel Dom Miguel. He married as his 
second wife the daughter of the Marquis de Louie. 

TESTE, Jean Baptiste (1780-1852). A French jurisconsult. Deputy in 
1831 ; a Liberal. In 1839 he became Minister of Justice, in 1840 of 
Public Works. In 1843 he was made a Peer of France and President 
of the Cour de Cassation, but the end of his life was saddened by a 
deplorable case in which he was compromised. 

THIARD DE BUSSY, Comte de (1772-1852). A French General, Chamber- 
lain to Napoleon in 1804. He accompanied him as aide-de-camp in the 
campaigns of 1805-1807, but afterwards retired. Louis XVIII. made 
him Marechal de Camp. A Deputy in 1815, he sat almost without 
interruption until 1818, and then became for a year Minister in 
Switzerland. 

THIERS, Adolphe (1797-1877). A French statesman and historian. He 
commenced his career in Paris as a journalist, founded the National 
in 1880, became Minister in 1832, and President of the Council in 1836 
and 1840. As Deputy he vainly opposed the war of 1870. He was 
President of the Republic in 1871. 

THIERS, Madame (1815-1880). Elise Dosne ; she was only sixteen when 
she married M. Thiers, to whom she brought a large fortune. 

THORWALDSEN, Bartholomew (1769-1844). A celebrated Danish 
sculptor. Son of a poor sailor in Copenhagen, he paid long visits 
to Italy, where he worked very hard. He founded a museum at 
Copenhagen, to which he left his immense fortune. 

TORENO, Jose, Count (1786-1843). A Spanish statesman. A member of 
the Cortes from 1811, he procured the abolition of the Inquisition. 
He was made Finance Minister, then President of the Council with 
the portfolio of Foreign Affairs. He retired from public life in 1835. 

TR^VISE, Due de. See MORTIER. 

TULLEMORE, Lady. Died 1848. Sister of the Duke of Argyll. Married 

1821. 

TYSKIEWICZ, Princess (1765-1834). Maria Theresa, daughter of Prince 
Andrew Poniatowski, second brother of the King. She married Count 
yineent Tyskiewicz, but kept her title of Princess, H^r husband was 



346 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Referendary of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Princess was a 
great friend of the Prince de Talleyrand. She almost always stayed 
at Valen9ay when in France, and is buried there. 



VALENCAY, Due de (1811-1898). Louis de Talleyrand-Perigord, Due de 
Talleyrand et de Valengay, Due de Sagan after the death of his 
mother ; son of Edmond, Due de Talleyrand, and Princess Dorothea of 
Courlande, Knight of the Golden Fleece of Spain and of the Black 
Eagle of Prussia. He married first in 1829 Alix, daughter of the Due 
de Montmorency ; then Countess Hatzfeld, daughter of Marshal de 
Castellane. The Due de Valengay was the eldest son of the Duchesse 
de Dino. 

VALENQAY, Duchesse de (1810-1858). Alix, daughter of the Due de 
Montmorency and Caroline de Matignon. 

VALOIS, a French dynasty which came to the throne with Philip VI. in 
1328 and ended with Henri III. in 1576. 

VAN DYCK, Sir Antony (1599-1641). A Flemish painter, a pupil of 
Rubens. He travelled in Italy, Holland, France and England, where 
he went and settled on the invitation of Charles I. 

VANTADOUR. Duchesse de (1799-1863). Daughter of Comte d'Aubusson 
la Feuillade and his first wife, Mile, de Refouville. She married the 
Due de Levis et de Vantadour. 

VAUD^MONT, Princesse de (1763-1832). Elise Marie Colette de Mont- 
morency Logny married in 1778 Prince Joseph de Vaudemont, of the 
House of Lorraine, who died in 1812. She was an intimate friend of 
M. de Talleyrand and was a good and clever woman who had retained 
many of the customs of the ancien regime. 

VICTORIA, Queen (1819-1901). Daughter of the Duke of Kent, fourth 
son of George III., who died in 1820. She ascended the throne in 
1837 on the death of her uncle William IV. In 1840 the young queen 
married her cousin Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. 

VIENNET, Jean Guillaume (1777-1868). A French man of letters who 
was elected to the Academy in 1830. 

VILLEMAIN, Abel Frangois (1790-1870). A professor, author and poli- 
tician. A member of the Academic frangaise from 1822 and a Peer 
of France. He was twice Minister of Public Instruction and from 
1835 was Perpetual Secretary of the Academie. 

VISCONTI-AYMI, Marchesa, died 1831 at Paris. Nee Carcano. She 
belonged to the most elegant society of Milan in the days of the vice- 
royalty of Eugene de Beauharnais. She married first the Comte 
Sopranzi by whom she had a son who was aide-de-camp to Marshal 
Berthier, a great frjend of hers, 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 347 

VITROLLES, Eugene d'Arnaud, Baron de (1774-1854). Served in Conde's 
Army, was appointed Minister of State in 1814, but was so violent 
that Louis XVIII. dismissed him. At his accession Charles X. made 
him Ambassador at Turin. In 1795 he married Mile, de FoUeville. 

VIVONNE, Louis Victor de Eochechouart, Comte de (1636-1688). After- 
wards Due de Mortemart, and a Marshal of France. He enjoyed rapid 
promotion owing to the influence of his sister, Madame de Montespan. 
He was celebrated for his wit, his epigrams and his corpulence. 

V0GU1&, Charles, Comte de. He married Mile, de Beranger, and was 
a brother of the Marquis de Vogiie. 

VOLTAIRE, M. de (1694-1778). Frangois Marie Arouet de Voltaire, son 
of a treasurer of the Chambre des Comptes. He exercised an im- 
mense influence on the literature and philosophy of the eighteenth 
century. 

W 

WARD, Sir Henry George (1798-1860). Son-in-law of Lord Grey, entered 
the British Diplomatic Service in 1816 as Attache at Stockholm, a 
position he also occupied at The Hague and Madrid. He entered Par- 
liament in 1832 and was made Commissioner for the Ionian Islands in 
1849. From 1856 until his death he was Governor of Oeylon. 

WARWICK, Guy, Earl of, died 1471. Surnamed the King-maker. Brother 
of Richard of York, he urged him to make good his claim to the 
Crown, then he caused Edward IV. to be proclaimed, and finally set 
Henry VI. on the throne and procured the Regency for himself. 

WARWICK, Earl of (1779-1853). Henry Richard Greville, Lord Brooke. 
Through the female line he was descended from the ancient family 
of Beauchamp. 

WARWICK, Lady, died 1851. Married first Lord Monson, and secondly 
the Earl of Warwick. 

WEIMAR, Charles Bernard, Duke of (1792-1862). A general in the service 
of the Netherlands. He married in 1815 Ida, Princess of Saxe-Mein- 
ingen. Sister of Queen Adelaide. His son Prince Edward of Weimar 
entered the British service. 

WELLESLEY, Marquess (1760-1842). Richard, Earl of Mornington, 
elder brother of the Duke of Wellington. Governor-General of India 
in 1797, he became Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1810 and Lord- 
Lieutenant of Ireland in 1822. 

WELLINGTON, Duke of (1769-1852). Third son of Viscount Wellesley, 
Earl of Mornington, served in 1797 in the Indian army, returned 
to England in 1805. Commanded the British army in the Peninsula 
and conquered Napoleon at Waterloo. He was a member of several 
Ministries. 

WERTHER, Wilhelm, Baron von (1772-1859]. A Prussian diplomatist. 
Was Minister at Paris (1824-1837) and Minister for Foreign Affairs at 



348 DUCHESSE DE DINO 

Berlin (1837-1841). He married Sophia, Countess Sandizell, a 
Bavarian lady who died in 1853. 

WESSENBERG, Ampringen, Baron (1773-1858). An Austrian diplomatist, 
was a member of the Conferences at London in 1830, and in 1848 was 
for a short time Minister for Foreign Affairs. 

WEYER, Sylvan van de (1803-1874). A Belgian statesman and man of 
letters. He was charged with an important mission to London, and 
succeeded in obtaining the acceptance of the proposition to summon 
a Conference in London to settle the new Belgian constitution, and 
the recognition of Prince Leopold of Coburg as King of the Bel- 
gians. In 1845 he was recalled to preside over the Cabinet, and in 
1846 again became Ambassador in London till 1867, when he retired 
from public life. 

WILLIAM II., King of the Netherlands (1792-1849). Married in 1818 
Anna Paulowna, daughter of the Czar Paul of Russia, and had a 
peaceful and prosperous reign. 

WILLIAM IV., King of England (1765-1837). He ascended the throne at 
the age of sixty-five, succeeding his brother, George IV. He reigned 
from 1830 to 1837. He married in 1818 Adelaide, daughter of the 
Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. 

WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR, or the Bastard, Duke of Normandy and 
King of England (1027-1087). He conquered England in 1066, and 
strongly organised his kingdom by creating a feudal nobility. 

WILLIAM TELL. Died 1354. One of the leaders of the ]?evolt which 
freed Switzerland in 1307. 

WILLOUGHBY COTTON, Sir Henry (1796-1865). A Member of the 
House of Commons. 

WINCHELSEA, Lord (1791-1858). George William Hatton.i His first wife 
was a daughter of the Duke of Montrose. In 1829 he had a famous 
duel with the Duke of Wellington. The Duke missed his adversary, 
and Lord Winchelsea fired in the air. 

WORONZOFF, Countess. Died in 1832 in London. Catherine Siniavin, 
wife of General Woronzoff. 

WURTEMBERG, King of (1781-1864). William I. succeeded to the 
throne in 1816. He married, first, the Grand Duchess Catherine of 
Russia, and secondly, his cousin, the Duchess Pauline of Wurtemberg. 

WURTEMBERG, Princess Maria of (1816-1863). Daughter of King 
William I. She married in 1840 Major- General Count Neipperg. 

WURTEMBERG, Princess Sophia of (1818-1877). Sister of the foregoing. 
Married in 1839 Williarn III., King of the Netherlands, 



BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 349 



YAEBOEOUGH, Lord (1812-1851). An officer of the Eoyal Household 
in 1831. 

YOKK, Duke of (1763-1827). Brother of King George IV. and King 
William IV. He married Princess Frederica of Prussia. 



ZEA BEEMEDEZ, Don Francisco (1772-1850); lA Spanish diplomatist. 
Chargi d' Affaires at St. Petersburg 1809-1820, afterwards Ambassador 
at Constantinople. In 1824 he was appointed Minister for Foreign 
Affairs ; in 1825 was Ambassador at Dresden ; and from 1828 till 
1833 Ambassador in London. From 1834 he almost constantly lived 
in Paris, where he died. 

ZEA BEEMEDEZ, Madame, wife of the foregoing. She was very popular 
in Society, owing to her distinction and amiability. She was born at 
Malaga. 

ZUMALAOAEEEGUY, Thomas (1789-1835). A Spanish general in 
command of the Eoyal Guard at the death of Ferdinand VII. He 
resigned his appointment and declared for Don Carlos, and waged a 
terrible war on the followers of Queen Christina. 

ZUYLEN VAN NEVELT, Baron Hugo (1781-1853). A Dutch statesman. 
He took an active part in his country's efforts to shake off the rule of 
Napoleon I. He was Ambassador at Paris, Madrid, Stockholm, and 
Constantinople. He returned to The Hague in 1829, and was very 
active in 1830, on the occasion of the Belgian Eevolution. He was 
afterwards sent with Falk to the Conference of London. From 1833 
till 1848 he held several portfolios, and soon after the latter date 
retired into private life. 



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